Turtle TidBits
by Mystic Medjai
Summary: A collection of stand alone, usually short, stories. Chapter Twenty-Nine: "Look Mastah! M'a sheriff!"
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Hey everyone! I'm baaaack. Sort of...I'm now in Monterey and awaiting the arrival of my laptop for more frequent updating. Anyway, I just wanted to say thank you for the 'Best New Author' nomination for the TMNT Fanfiction Competition! I'm like...amazed. Thanks so much!

Also, about this new "story"...this will be like Of Flowers and Things, only no word count restrictions. I'm just gonna write however much my muse dictates and try to get a chapter out every week at least. No promises though!

As always, please enjoy

* * *

><p>Michelangelo had stopped paying attention to Donatello's rambli—explantion, maybe about ten minutes ago and as the more...intellectual of the four brothers went on and on about how he'd fixed the one dohickey to make the other thingamabob run smoother with a sixty-three percent increase in its operational rate, which sounded like it was a good thing if Don's proud expression was anything to go off of.<p>

Mikey smothered a yawn by clenching his teeth together and giving his head a little shake to get rid of the drowsiness settling there. Perhaps he should stop nodding and humming is "interest" so he could finally answer the alluring call of his skateboard.

"and then..." Don trailed off, lifting an eyeridge in his little brother's direction, "Mikey? You haven't heard a word that I've said, have you..."

"Huh? Oh, yeah! Cool story bro, but it needs more dinosaurs!" And with a brilliant sunny smile, he saluted cheerfully on his way out of the room.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Hey all! So this one is a bit longer...not much else to say except...

I do not own TMNT, therefore I borrow. Thank you so much to my superb reviewers!

As always, please enjoy.

* * *

><p>Mikey had been slinking around the lair for the past hour in the hopes that if Leo, or any of his brothers for that matter, couldn't find him then he wouldn't have to participate in the rather intense training workout that had been planned for the day.<p>

The plan had been working out rather well until he'd heard Don cheering very enthusiastically. And who WOULDN'T have investigated? I mean really...

So, letting his curiosity get the better of him and praying it wouldn't kill him as it had the cat (not Klunk of course what with him being a ninja kitty and all), Mikey crept out of hiding to discover what all the commotion was about to find Raph doing pushups, Don being very inspirational and motivating about completing said pushups, and Leo supervising them both with arms crossed. But what was most interesting about the particular scene, was the heavy weights strapped to Raph's plastron and shell.

"Come on Raph! Only thirty-five more to go!"

Raph paused in the down position. "Not—," he pushed back up until his arms were fully extended "—helping!"

"You've got to complete all of the pushups," Leo said with a small smirk. "In two and and half minutes, that was the deal."

"I know what the deal is!" Raph barked back.

"Just checking," Leo held up his hands defensively. "You just seemed to be slowing down a little. By the way, you've got thirty-three more seconds."

Raph snarled something under his breath and Don continued to happily observe.

"Wait, what's the deal?"

"Oh there you are Mikey," Don said with a smile. "I've been wondering where you've been."

"Oh you know...around. What deal?"

"I told Raph that if he could complete one hundred and twenty-five pushups in two and a half minutes with an extra fifty pounds, that he could skip training today," Leo explained. "By the way, time's up. How many Donny?"

"One hundred and thirteen," Don replied immediately.

Raphael glared when Leo gave him a look...a smug one. "It's not like I couldn't do em, I just ran out of time!"

"I told you that five second rest wasn't worth it," Don said.

"If my arms weren't on fire, I'd be stranglin' you with em."

"So let me get this straight..." Mikey began. "If I can do a hundred and twenty-five pushups in two and a half minutes with those," he gestured to the weights Don was helping Raph remove, "strapped to my lovely person, then I can skip training?"

"IF you can do it," Leo said with a confidence that suggested he believed his challenge too challenging. "Raphael couldn't."

"I ran outta time!"

"Hand em over!" Mikey reached for the weights, wriggled into them eagerly and dropped to the floor. "Okay, ready set GO!"

Two minutes and twenty-two seconds later, Mikey jumped to his feet and made quick work of removing the weights. "Catch ya later, dudes!" and then he was gone as quickly as he had come.

The remaining three exchanged stupefied glances.

Raph was the first to break the silence. "I say we never speak of this again..." 


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **I don't own TMNT...yadda yadda yadda...blah blah blah, I write for pleasure and entertainment purposes only. Yup.

Anywho! Thanks a billion and one to my outstanding reviewers! I'm amazed that you guys still read my writing! And I love you all for it.

So yeah...this one is a bit different to say the least. There's no real plot I don't think. I just sorta wrote whatever wanted to be written and this is what happened. I know it's not Of Flowers and Things, but I do hope you'll enjoy Turtle TidBits just as much, and this chapter in particular. I'm kinda fond of it even if it is just a "happening" and not really actiony and stuff. I'm rambling...

As always, please enjoy!

* * *

><p>Raphael was not a morning person. Or a midday person, or even afternoon. So on those rare occasions when he wasn't out doing...whatever he did during the bewitching hours, it was a foolish idiot indeed who dared wake him up.<p>

That's why he almost pitied the yet-to-be-identified moron responsible for the buzzing shell cell beneath his pillow. Almost.

Mumbling groggy curses under his breath, he brought the phone to his ear. "_What_!" he snarled, his voice raspy with sleep. Already he had imagined three different ways to kill the poor bastard on the other line.

"Raph," Don's voice was an urgent whisper. "You awake?"

"No," Raphael said dryly. "I'm skydiving. What's goin' on Einstein. And whatever it is better be worth wakin' me up for. Where _are _you anyways? If you're callin' me from that lab of yours I'm gonn—"

"I'm at the _junkyard_," Donatello interrupted with a hiss. Somehow he managed to sound insulted, impatient, and like he was scolding his brother all at the same time. But then, multitasking was one of the things he did best.

"Talk to me Donny. I ain't up for figuring out your riddles right now. Or ever for the matter."

"I can't explain everything at the moment," he said with his voice real low, like he was working hard to not be overheard. That alone had captured Raph's full attention, despite his irritation. "But I've run into a bit of trouble and could use your—"

It was Raph's turn to interrupt. "On my way."

In a flourish of flying sheets, Raph wrestled his way out of his hammock and raced for the exit.

From the couch Mikey snored, probably passed out from a late night movie. Raph considered waking him and dragging him along, but waking Michelangelo up was just about as fun as waking Raph, if for entirely different reasons. As for Leo, _if _he was awake somewhere, there wasn't enough time for him to make it known before Raph was already out the door and in the sewers.

When he reached the junkyard, he was climbing the fence lining the perimeter in an instant and landed on the other side in a silent crouch moments later. Several voices coming from his right forced him to dive for cover in the opposite direction.

Peering around a torn tire, Raph's eyes narrowed dangerously at the seven Purple Dragons picking their way across the yard. Typical they'd travel in packs. Numbers were the _only _thing that was ever in their favor. Not that it was ever enough for them to actually come out victorious for anything. However, despite their total and absolute incompetence, the odds were tipped dangerously out of his brother's favor.

_Shell Donny, _he thought_, what sort of trouble did you get yourself into?_

Raphael studied the Dragons. If the way they were acting was anything to go off of, it was safe to say that they had no idea either he or Don were there, but then where the hell _was _Don?

Squashing down the powerful urge to squash _them, _Raph left them alone in favor of locating his brother. As he skimmed across the junkyard, keeping well amongst the shadows, he wondered why it was that Don hadn't just slipped away already...unless...what if he couldn't? What if he'd been wrong and the Purple Dragons really _did _have him?

Raph's hand went to his sai the same moment a lump formed in his throat. He was gonna kill 'em. All of 'em. Slow painful deaths.

Then again, when push came to shove Don could take care of himself.

Raph shook his head. He was still gonna beat them to a bloody pulp.

Out of his peripheral vision he caught sight of the most subtle of movements. Reflexively he took cover. For a moment, there was only the sound of the Purple Dragons bumbling about in the dark and then...

"Raph?"

At first Raphael had thought he'd imagined it, Don's voice was so quiet.

"Where are you?" Raphael dared to whisper back.

"I'm here."

In the darkness he was able to make out Don's waving hand and, with a darting glance toward his surroundings, was at his side in a flash.

"Start talkin'," Raph ordered, placing a hand on the ground to anchor himself while balancing on the balls of his feet. "What the hell are you still doing—" he cut himself off in favor of holding his hand up for inspection, the one he'd just put on the ground. "Shit Don! This _better _not be yours!" He wiped the blood off on his thigh.

"Why? Are you going to punch me if it is?" Don challenged with a bitter smile. "Sorry to say I can't tell you what you want to hear," he said, his voice tense.

Raph followed the splotchy trail of blood on the ground to where it was coming from. He practically snarled at what he found. A piece of what looked to be roda metal was sticking out of the side of Donny's calf. It was hard to tell what it was exactly in the dark.

Raphael swallowed, feeling very much like he'd just eaten rocks that left an extremely bitter taste in his mouth.

"Honestly it's not as serious as it looks," Don said, shifting his weight and grimacing at the effort it took to move as little as possible.

"Well then how serious _is_ it exactly, cuz it looks pretty damn bad!"

"Shh!" Don hissed. "Raph, there are _still _Purple Dragons around!"

"Not for much longer they ain't! Is this _their _fault?"

"Not directly, but that's—"

Raph withdrew a sai from his belt. "They are _so _dead."

"Hold on a minute!" Don sucked in a sharp breath through clenched teeth and his hold on Raph's wrist tightened against the pain. The motion from catching his arm had jarred his entire body, causing the metal to dig painfully into his leg. "Don't do anything rash," Don said, breathing slow. "If something happens I can't do anything."

"You sayin' I can't handle those idiots on my own?" Raph demanded, his pride slightly bruised at the insinuation.

"I'm a sitting duck, Raph."

Raphael hesitated, feeling very much like he'd just pulled a Mikey. He probably deserved a slap upside the head. "Why didn't you just pull it out? Unless you _want _to leave it in."

"Of course not," Don said sounding slightly put out. "However, as painful as it is, it's stemming the blood flow and the last thing I want to do is lose _more_ of it. _Especially_ with an enemy patrolling the area. Even an idiotic one."

"All the more reason to take 'em out!" Raph hissed.

"_Focus_!" Don hissed back. "Honestly, you're acting like Mikey. No attention span_ what_soever."

"Well I'm sorry," Raph said sarcastically, "that I'm not behaving normally while my brother is bleeding next to me because there's a piece of friggin' _metal _embedded in his _leg_."

Don resisted a bitter grin. Raph had just practically confessed to being worried about him. "Not for long if you'll just shut up and _help_ me. I don't exactly have anything useful to patch myself up with. Masks and elbow pads aren't going to go far and the conditions..." he paused to eye the garbage surrounding them, "leave much to be desired."

"You called me cuz you needed a piggyback ride?"

"Well when you put it like _that_." This time Don really did sound put out. "And there will be no _piggying _of any sort."

"And you didn't tell me that you needed transportation on the phone _why_? Don, I coulda brought the friggin' Battle Shell."

"And attracted unwanted attention from the Purple Dragons? Great idea!"

Raph didn't answer right away and took the few seconds of silence to listen for said Dragons, just to make sure they were still clueless as to their presence in the junkyard. "So? We'd've been long gone before any backup could even _think _to show up."

"I..." Don trailed off, realizing Raph had a point, "...ve got a piece of rusty _metal _in my _leg._" He continued as if that's what he'd been about to say all along, "Excuse me if my reasoning has been temporarily affected. Never mind the blood loss."

"You know what? You called me for help and so I'm gonna get you outta this mess. But we're gonna do this _my _way."

"Raph," Don warned, reaching for his brother's elbow as if touch alone could somehow change his mind and erase the dangerous, yet mischievous glint in his eyes.

Raph leaned out of reach. "Sorry Don, but I'm afraid you ain't thinkin' too clear at the moment. I think you mentioned something about blood loss yes?" He smirked at the look on Don's face.

"And what if you get hurt, hmm? Then we'll have Purple Dragons to contend with and _both _of us will be out of commission."

"That's what Leo n'Mikey are for. If I'm not back in five minutes, call 'em..._both _of them. Not that you'll need to." Then Raph slipped into the shadows of the junkyard, leaving Don alone with his thoughts and the scrap metal. From the particular angle he was looking it, it was possible that it had once been a—maybe he really should've called all of his brothers in the first place...stupid blood loss. His thought process was jumping all over the place.

Across the junk yard Don heard shifting trash and then voices which he could only assume where the Purple Dragons talking to one another. Then there was a thunk here, a thump there, some cries of surprise and anger, the sound of metal on metal, a shout from Raphael and then nothing.

Don tilted his head and strained his ears, but the junkyard had become silent. Unnervingly so.

"Raph?" Don called hesitantly, the sound of his brother's shout replaying over and over in his mind. Had he been hit from behind? The mental image of a bat or some other makeshift weapon crashing down on Raphael's head slithered its way through Don's thoughts. "Raph!" He tried again when he didn't get a response.

A tin can skittered across the ground and Don snatched up his staff and swung it.

"Whoa!" Raph barely ducked in time and threw his hands up to cover his head just in case he hadn't ducked low enough. "What gives? You know, it's for crap like this that I hate getting up int he morning!"

"Sorry," Don panted, resting his staff across his thighs. "I just heard you shout out and—you okay?"

"Course," Raph scoffed. "Guy just got in a lucky hit is all. Nothin' to fuss about, especially not compared to that," he gestured to Don's injury. It was amazing really, what sort of things they were able to handle. Not that they had a choice, but damn were they good at gettin' through shit like that. "You holdin' up okay?"

Don took a moment to consider the question. He was feeling light headed, his leg hurt like a—well it hurt a lot, and it seemed a small portion of his common sense had flown out the window some time ago. "Could be better."

"Let's get you home. Can you stand?"

Between the two of them they managed to get Don to his feet. One arm was pulled across Raph's shoulders and using his bo staff as a sort of crutch the two of them managed to hobble along without jostling Don's leg too much.

"Should we call Leo? Get a ride home? How come you ain't _bleeding_ more?"

Don blinked up at his brother. "Maybe, sounds like a good idea, and it's a mystery to me too. I'm frequently amazed at the magnitude of our luck."

"I dunno 'bout that Donny-boy. Having Mikey in the family isn't something I'd call lucky." Raph said as they turned into an alleyway.

"_Hey_!" A voice came from above and the two brother's froze before their gazes slowly traveled skyward. "Just for that I'm not helping you."

Don and Raph relaxed breathed sighs of relief to find Mikey peering down at them from the fire escape.

Leo dropped down silently next to them. "Now's not the time for jokes, Mikey." Laying claim to Don's staff, he pulled his arm across his shoulders. Mikey landed beside them and moved to take Raph's spot.

"I got 'im," he protested.

"Raph, you're injured too."

"What?" Don's eyes swept across his brother's frame. It was hard to make out in the shadows of the alley, but there was a gash running a few inches across his bicep. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"Seriously?" Raph raised an eye ridge, surrendering Don over into Mikey's hold. "You're gonna doctor me now?

"We need to get moving," Leo urged. "It's a miracle you're as alert as you are," he said to Don.

"Yes I know." Donny agreed. "The things we manage astound even me."

The next morning, with gauze around wrapped snuggly around his arm, Raphael knocked on the open doorframe of Donatello's bedroom. "Got a minute?"

Propped up on several pillows borrowed from the living room, Don set aside a textbook. "What's up."

Snagging a chair, Raph spun it around to sit on it backwards, eyeing the thick bandages wrapped around his brother's leg. There were several stitches under those bandages. "I just got a few questions to ask you is all," Raph finally said. "If you're up for it."

Don shrugged a shoulder. "Ask away."

"Well first of all...how the hell did you get a piece of broken pipe in your leg?" They'd finally been able to figure out what it was under proper lighting. "I mean...that's not exactly a Donny move now is it."

Don flinched. "It's actually kind of embarrassing."

"I ain't gonna _laugh _at ya Donny."

"Well...I was caught by surprise. The Purple Dragons appeared out of nowhere and in my rush to get away, undetected, I sort of lost my footing and.I..well fell on it. It's amazing they hadn't heard anything really, but then I _was_ trying to be quiet about it. Just a freak accident I suppose you could say." By then he was frowning. It was obvious that he was really bothered that it had happened.

"Why me?" Raph said, changing the subject.

Don turned his frown toward Raph. "What do you mean?"

"I was jus' wondering why you called me instead of Leo. Or Mikey—okay, maybe not Mikey," he amended after receiving a look.

"It's actually sort of interesting...I mean, you are the farthest thing from a morning person I've ever had the misfortune to encounter—no hitting the bedridden!" He defensively held up a pillow until Raph lowered his fist. Don shrugged a shoulder. "I don't know. I just had a feeling that if I called you then you'd definitely answer. Not that Leo wouldn't, or Mikey wouldn't, obviously they would've. Something was just telling me to call you for help, simple as that."

"Hmmm," Raph hummed thoughtfully and got up from his chair to cross the small distance from his seat to the bed.

In a rare display of affection he leaned forward on the edge of the bed, careful not to disturb Don's leg, and pressed their foreheads together. "Day or night and everywhere in-between, if you need help you can _always _call for me, because we're brothers and we take care of each other no matter what."

He stayed there for a heartbeat longer before straightening. "Now get some rest," he said gruffly. "My bike needs a tune up and there ain't no way in hell I'm lettin' Mikey anywhere near the garage after last time..."

But that was a different story.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **I do not own TMNT, I simply borrow for entertainment purposes! Or at least...what I hope is entertaining.

To my wonderful reviewers! You are Inspiration in physical form.

Also! I'm feeling a bit rusty...so lemme know how y'all think I'm doing.

As always, please enjoy.

* * *

><p>It was an unusual sight really. And yet somehow not.<p>

When you were one of five that made up a mutant family, these things weren't really so uncommon. Just unique and rather amusing. If one found these things amusing of course.

At the moment, Splinter was simply regretting the fact that he'd left his bedroom at all.

"Master Splinter!" Leonardo's tone was laced with embarrassment that he should be found in such a...predicament. A gob of pink goo dripped off of his elbow and he winced as it hit the floor.

Splinter hummed thoughtfully and let his eyes wander around the room. All four of his sons were covered in oozing, dripping, blubbery goo. Pink goo.

Michelangelo scooped some off of his cheek and rubbed it experimentally between his fingers while Raphael scowled at him, and Donatello's expression mirrored Leonardo's.

It wasn't just his sons that were covered in the stuff either. It literally dripped off furniture and walls. Splinter refused to look up, just in case it had ended up on the ceiling.

"I can explain," Leonardo said quickly, "I think..."

"No need," Splinter interrupted with a held up hand. "Is anything damaged or beyond repair?"

All three of the brothers turned to Donatello.

"I don't I think so..." he began. He glanced around the room quickly. "Nothing I wouldn't be able to fix anyway."

Splinter nodded and then proceeded to the kitchen where he brewed himself some tea. When he passed by the living room, his hands occupied with tray, teapot and teacup, none of them had moved.

"Master Splinter, let me." As Leonardo reached for the tray, another glob of goo dripped from his fingers and he shrunk back. "Perhaps I'd better not..."

"I think that's best," Splinter agreed.

"Sensei?"

"Yes, Michelangelo?"

"You're not angry?"

"I have no need to be. Nothing is broken, and you _will _clean up after yourselves I assume?"

"Of course, Master." Leonardo bowed slightly, and Splinter resisted the smile that arose when more pink ooze dripped from his chin.

"And you're not gonna ask what happened?"

Splinter looked thoughtful for a moment. "No, I'm not. The art of being wise...is knowing what to overlook." Then he left. He stopped just shy of the doorway. "By the way...I expect our home to be clean before I return to watch my stories."

As he closed his door behind him, Splinter heard, "way to open your big mouth shell-for-brains!"

And he smiled. Life was never dull with his boys around.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** I do not own TMNT, I simply borrow for entertainment purposes!

To my wonderful reviewers! You truly are inspiration in physical form!

Sorry for the lack of updates! It's difficult to find time and motivation these days...and then of course I do that silly angsty thing where I'm all "Peoples! Why you no leave reviewz!" and "Nobody likes my stories anymore!" and yadda yadda yadda. Silly, yes?

As always, please enjoy! (And forgive any spelling/grammar mistakes cuz FFN is being weird and I can't edit properly...)

* * *

><p>"What'd I miss?" Mikey called eagerly, hopping over the back of the couch to reclaim his seat beside Leonardo, a bowl of buttered popcorn in his arms. "What'd I miss?"<p>

"You were only gone for two minutes," Leo pointed out patiently.

"So what'd I miss?"

"Commercials, numbskull. You missed the friggin' commercials," Raph barked at him from his place on the other end of the couch.

"Yes! Another plan, perfectly executed," Mikey said around a mouthful of popcorn. He ducked his head when Leo gave him a disapproving look, feeling a little ashamed. Until he held out the bowl in offering.

"Pass some my way would you?" Donatello said from the floor. Legs crossed and curled up beneath the coffee table, he looked up from his laptop long enough to accept the bowl.

"Why're we watchin' this again?" Raph said, waving his hand at the television screen. "It's all monsters and ghosts and stuff that ain't real and..." he paused here, reluctant to say the word and practically shuddering, "...bromance."

"What's wrong with Supernatural?" Mikey demanded, affronted. "Two brothers who kick serious shell outta the bad guys. What's not to like about that?"

"I repeat. Bro..._mance_."

"It's back on," Leo interrupted, cutting in before Raph and Mikey could start arguing about TV show preferences. Again.

Irritated, Mikey turned forward to pout at the TV until Don pressed the bowl of popcorn back into his lap with a small smile. Returning it with a grin, Mikey began to munch happily watching as the show began, officially establishing the mood for the episode and introducing what would become the plotline.

His hand froze, hovering above the bowl when the image of a power saw in the garage of a character who was obviously about to die, came on the screen. Suddenly he'd lost his appetite.

Not two weeks ago he'd seen one of those. Up close and personal when he, and his brothers, had been strapped to steel tables. He could still see Bishop now, hovering over him with the spinning blade in hand, threatening to dissect him.

Mikey shuddered and lifted a hand to his plastron. A miniscule, shallow groove ran vertically down between the plates of his chest. It was so shallow that it practically blended in with the natural rough texture of his plastron. He was only aware that it even existed because he'd actually felt for it.

Of course it also helped that he'd felt its creation when the spinning blade had nearly carved him in two. He was still angry that he'd let Bishop get so close before kicking him away, but the belts securing his legs had been tricky to get out of.

At least he'd been quick enough before any real damage could occur, and none of his brothers truly realized or knew just how close that blade had come.

"Mikey?" Leo turned his studying gaze upon his little brother, one eye ridge lifted ever so slightly in the subtlest hints of concern. Leo always moved in subtle ways. "Something wrong?"

"Just gotta go to the little turtle's room," Mikey announced. He stood and pressed the bowl of popcorn into Leo's arms to make him stop _looking _at him with that judging expression of his. Mikey didn't miss the way Leo's eyes darted toward where he'd been holding his hand over his chest. "Hold this for me."

Ignoring the three sets of curious eyes that followed him as he left, Mikey made a quick getaway.

With the bathroom door closed, he reached for the sink and let the water pour from the faucet as he dragged air in and out of his lungs in jagged breaths.

"Get a grip, Mikey." he chided himself between each exaggerated breath. "It's over." But all he could see was that saw getting closer and closer to his chest. Even the water sounded like the growl of the power tool's engine. Angrily, he turned it off.

"Mikey?" Leo knocked, his voice was muffled through the door. "What's the matter." It wasn't a question so much as a demanding accusation. He knew something was wrong. Obviously.

Mikey didn't respond. He was much too busy with trying to remember how to breathe properly.

"Mikey," Leo sounded impatient on the other side. "I won't ask a second time."

"That's kinda hard to do," Mikey paused to drag in a heavy breath, "when you didn't ask a first time."

The door handle turned and Leo slipped in, shutting it behind him.

"Whoa, bro!" Mikey gasped. "Little privacy?"

"Michelangelo!" Leonardo chided, noting the rate of his breathing. "What's going on?"

"Wish—" jagged breath, "I knew."

"Are you having a panic attack?"

"What?" Mikey paused to consider this and worked hard at regaining control of his breathing. He was doing pretty good if he did say so himself. "Is that what this is?" Deep breath.

"Or an anxiety attack or something. Sit." Leo pushed him down onto the floor, his shell to the wall, and claimed a spot beside him, a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Now utilize those meditating techniques I _know _you have stored _somewhere_ in that head of yours and regain control of your breathing."

Mikey managed a chuckle. "S'meditating your answer to _everything_?"

Leonardo cracked a smile. "Just breathe."

It was about five minutes later when Mikey felt normal again. Well, besides the embarrassment, and he didn't get embarrassed very often which was kind of surprising really...his brothers probably figured he wasn't ever embarrassed enough.

"So, do you want talk about it?" Leo ventured softly, glancing curiously at his little brother out of the corners of his eyes.

"Not really," Mikey replied casually, but he didn't miss the look Leo gave him. The one that said that wasn't the answer he'd been hoping for. Sighing, Mikey started to explain. "Remember how Bishop had us all captured like...awhile ago?"

"Yes," Leo replied, his jaw clenching at the memories Mikey's comment had brought up. "I don't think I'll ever forget."

"Yeah," Mikey agreed bitterly, lifting a hand to his chest. "I wish I could forget."

"Why do you keep doing that?" Leonardo nodded his head at Mike's hand.

"Just a groove."

"May I?" Leo reached toward him and Mikey let his fingers ghost over the mark on his plastron. As his fingertips finally deciphered the difference between the natural texture and the straight and unnatural, albeit shallow, groove marring the plastron he frowned. "Wait, that wasn't from the—"

"Saw that nearly cleaved me in two? You betcha!"

"And the power tool on the show earlier—"

"Kinda freaked me out. Yep! Don't tell Raph..." He added hastily, but Leo wasn't really listening. He was busy brooding.

"I wasn't aware that it had actually gotten so close. I mean, you got your leg free and you kicked him away, you weren't acting different _at all_. I thought you were unharmed."

"I am unharmed."

"_Mikey_! You basically just had a panic attack! I wouldn't call that unharmed."

"I'm in one piece...I'd call that unharmed."

Leo let out a heavy breath through his nose. An impatient sound.

"Okay, so it's affecting me still...but I'm aware of that now, so now I can deal with it and move on. It's not gonna keep me down for long Leo And why the shell do you look so offended? S'not like it's _your_...oh hells no Leo! You don't get to play pity party on this one bro! No guilt trips or I swear I'll go all sorts of ninja on you."

The corner of Leonardo's mouth lifted a fraction, but he was quick to prevent the grin. "Michelangelo..."

"Leonardo," Mikey mimicked in the same tone of voice. "Okay, if it becomes a bigger issue in the future and if I can't handle it and you can't help me handle it should I ask for your help...then I'll let you go tattle to Master Splinter m'kay?" He offered to appease the dissatisfaction that was printed all over Leo's face. It was funny...it was so hard to read the guy and yet...so not. "Now, can we go back to the show?"

"You're sure you're up for that?"

"What am I gonna do Leo? Avoid TV for the rest of my life because some saw that can't even hurt me might be on it? Get real. Watching TV is like...my meditating! You wouldn't take that away from me would you?" Mikey asked after standing. He held out a hand for Leo to take and pulled him to his feet.

"That _would _be tragic," Leo agreed sarcastically, his eyes dancing.

"I _know_!" Mikey exclaimed as they meandered their way back to the couch.

"Hey wait," Leo paused mid-step. "What do you mean _tattle_? I do not _tattle_!"

Mikey laughed nervously before bolting toward the couch. "Hey Raph, what'd I miss!"

Raphael did not respond. He was much to engrossed with watching the TV show.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **I do not own TMNT, I borrow for entertainment purposes.

To my beloved reviewers! Thank you _so _much! You guys are inspiration in physical form. And to my anonymous readers. I love you guys too...I just have less of an idea of who you are, lol. You guys are like...Fanfiction Ninja!

So um yeah...not sure where this one came from exactly...I'd probably call it a little random.

As always, please enjoy!

* * *

><p>It was a mystery to her, that she hadn't lost her sanity yet. Or maybe true insanity was when someone thought themselves sane when the truth was they had lost their mind a long time ago, which was a definite possibility for April O'Neil when she stopped to think about all the things she'd gone through since she'd met the guys.<p>

So many things she'd have thought impossible years ago were now simply accepted as normal. Like mutant turtles for example. They were as ordinary to her now as the little old lady she saw every Sunday buying fresh daisies at the grocery store. If that wasn't crazy, then nothing was.

Not that she was complaining. She loved her life, loved her boys. They were family after all.

_But what are families for if not to drive you crazy?_ Which brought her back to questioning her sanity...

"You okay there, April?" A hand brushed against her arm, catching her elbow and guiding her slightly to the right to avoid bumping into the wall as Leonardo led them around a corner.

"I'm fine," she replied. "Really, Don, I'm okay. I just got lost in my thoughts I suppose..."

"I don't blame you," he replied, releasing his hold on her arm once he was sure she wasn't going to nearly walk into the wall again. "This place...it sort of messes with your mind."

"So you've been questioning your sanity too?"

"What?"

"Never mind. Donny?"

"Hmm?"

"We _are _going to get out of here right?"

"Of course," he replied without a moment's hesitation. "All mazes have exits, and all puzzles were meant to be solved. It's just a matter of time. So don't worry so much okay? We've been in worse situations."

"You're right," she nodded. "But when we return, I really think I may need to rethink my business. This is the second time an artifact from my shop has teleported us somewhere."

"True," he agreed. "But we managed to find our way back the first time without too much trouble."

"So, which way Fearless? Left or right?" Raph's voice came from ahead of them. He leaned against the maze wall and casually crossed his arms over his chest.

"Your guess is as good as mine, Raph." Leo replied with a sigh, obviously worn out. Wandering a maze for great lengths of time tended to do that to people. "Come on." He turned toward the right.

"No, not that way. Go left," Mikey announced suddenly, his voice and eyes unusually serious.

Leo looked over his shoulder at his littlest brother.

"You seem rather sure of yourself," Donny observed.

"Pretty sure we've been this way before."

"And how d'ya figure that one Shell-For-Brains?" Raph challenged.

Mikey shrugged his shoulders. "Instinct?"

Leo studied him for a second longer. "All right. Left it is."

Raph pushed away from the wall and went after him, followed by Don and then April who paused long enough to glance back just in time to see Mikey pick up a tiny scrap of orange fabric from the ground. She glanced at the trailing edges of his mask and realized that one was slightly shorter than the other.

Michelangelo glanced up as he tucked the small square into his belt. Grinning, he winked at her. "Better hurry April, or we'll be left behind!"

He danced passed her and she watched his back as he launched himself at his brothers, throwing an arm around Don and Raph's shoulders and immediately the tired atmosphere around them seemed to melt away.

She felt the corners of her lips turning upward. "Hey guys! Wait up!"

Not ten minutes later, they reached the exit and were magically transported back to her shop.

April observed as Mikey made a dramatic show of pretended to kiss the floor and greeting the furniture and artifacts in the room, claiming to have missed them. She smiled secretively and shrugged at the curious look Donny threw her way.

_ The real leader has no need to lead—he is content to point the way._


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: **I do not own TMNT! Therefore I borrow for entertainment purposes!

To my amazing reviewers! You guys are truly inspiration in physical form! Or would it be digital?

As always, please enjoy.

* * *

><p>It was a tradition. Movie Night that is, and Michelangelo was adamant that it happened once a month at the <em>very <em>least. He preferred a weekly occurrence, but life had this funny habit of always getting in the way.

"I got the popcorn!"

"Oh no you don't," Donatello snatched the bowl out of Raphael's arms. "Last time you were in charge of the popcorn I thought I was eating rocks of salt."

" Wasn't me," Raphael disagreed, "that was Mikey's doin'!"

"Hey!" Michelangelo replied, surrendering the DVD case over to April so she could set the movie up. "The salt was all _you_ bro! _I_ was in charge of the butter."

"Yes," Leonardo agreed, "and I'm pretty sure there was more butter than there was popcorn."

"Pizza's here!" Casey announced, depositing the box onto the coffee table in the center of the living room.

"Dibbs!" Mikey exclaimed immediately after.

"Call dibbs all you want Knucklehead, this pizza is for _all _of us!" Raphael countered.

Mikey raised an eye ridge at him before a mischievous smirk claimed his lips and while staring Raphael straight in the eyes... "dibbs!"

Donatello narrowly resisted slapping a palm to the forehead and Leonardo discreetly and strategically positioned himself between a glaring Raphael and an oblivious Michelangelo to prevent any...chaos. Whether Mikey was purposefully unaware or just pretending not to notice was still a mystery.

"Hey guys," Mikey began five minutes later once they were all settled comfortably in the living room. He lifted a slice of pizza from his plate, the cheese stretching thin as it was attached to the second slice still on the plate. "Ever find yourself wondering why the pizza box is square...when the pizza itself is round?"

He was too busy sinking his teeth into the cheesy goodness to notice the five strange looks he was receiving.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: **As always, and forever, I do not own TMNT, therefore I borrow. Okay? Okay!

To my phenomenal reviewers! As per usual, you are inspiration in physical form!

So yeah...I've got mixed feelings about this one. Not my best work, but it's been awhile, so perhaps I'm rusty. I just really wanted to post something. Hope it's not disappointing.

As always, please enjoy.

* * *

><p>"You okay?" Michelangelo's arm brushed questioningly up against Raphael's, his eyes glancing at the blood seeping through the white bandage wrapped around his leg just above the knee.<p>

"Fine," Raphael replied curtly, but Michelangelo noticed the way his steps were more careful than usual and the subtle way he attempted to avoid putting access weight on his injured leg. "It's just annoyin' is all."

"Just like you-ouch!" Frowning, Mikey half-heartedly nursed the back of his head. "Hey, Leo!"

From a few yards ahead of them, Leonardo stopped and turned. "What is it?"

"We've been walking forever, bro. Can we take a break?"

Leo opened his mouth, no doubt about to object.

"We haven't checked in with April in awhile," Mikey added, tilting his head ever so slightly to the left in what appeared to be in a pleading manner, only Raph was standing to his left. "Maybe she's made some progress on the other side?"

Leo's eyes flicked toward their brother for a fraction of a second and his mouth closed. "All right, we'll take a break, a short one. Stay alert. The last thing we need is to be getting into _more _trouble."

"Yeah, because right now I'd love nothing more than to get into another fight with a bunch of soldiers that look like they walked straight out of _The Lord of the Rings_."

"It's a wonder you didn't ask for their autograph Mikey, being such a fan and all."

Walking back toward them, Leo closed the short distance between himself and his brothers, catching Raph's gaze as said turtle awkwardly lowered himself down into the tall grasses of the endless field they'd been plowing through.

"Don't."

Leo's jaw tightened. "I didn't say anything."

"Yeah well...you were gonna. I'm _fine_. Donny ain't worrying, why should you?"

"Someone say my name?" Don asked, looking up from the control panel on his arm. It, and his cyber armor looked completely out of place in the medieval world they were trapped in. They all did, but they had more to worry about then their outfits.

"Have you heard from April?" Leo asked, redirecting the conversation.

"Just got done talking with her actually," Don replied, a small smile gracing his features. "We managed to isolate and eradicate the technical issue. She was able to reprogram the exit into the simulation."

"So we can go back to the real world now?" Mikey asked eagerly. "I could go for some pizza."

"You can _always _go for pizza," Raph grouched.

"Why do I get the feeling that there was a _but _about to be said?" Leo asked.

"Unfortunately she wasn't able to program it as close as we would have liked." Don said with a helpless shrug.

Raph muttered a curse and climbed to his feet. "How far?"

"About five miles in that direction," Donatello pointed and three sets of eyes turned to where he was gesturing. "We're trying to get it closer though."

"Either way, we'd better get started." Raph started walking again. He caught Leo looking at him in that big brother way of his again and he just barely kept from rolling his eyes. "I can walk five miles Leo. 'Sides, the sooner we get there the sooner you can _stop_ _worryin'_."

"Too bad we can't travel by map," Mikey chirped, falling into step beside his older brother.

Leo's brow creased as he rolled that particular remark over and over in his mind. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"You know, _map _travel."

"Mikey," Leo said patiently, "almost everyone travels with a map."

"That's not what I mean."

"Then I have no idea what you're talking about." _As usual _ he added silently to himself.

"Like in the movies. You know, when the heroes have to travel really long distances, like across countries and stuff? They always show a map and like...an arrow or a dotted line or a boat or something to show their progress and in practically no time at all they're there!"

Mikey sensed, rather than saw, the hand coming his way and then there was a brief moment where he couldn't feel or sense anything at all, and then he felt the hand connect.

"Ow!"

"Welcome back guys!" April called, removing her headset and setting it by the keyboard as they finally re-appeared on the platform. "I managed to get the portal closer."

Nursing his head again, Mikey smiled. "Cool! That's even _better _than map travel!"

"What?" She said, confused.

Raph hopped off the platform and claimed a nearby computer chair. "Don't ask."


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: **I no own TMNT! Okay? Okay!

To my amazing reviewers, you guys keep me writing. Without you...well...I wouldn't be much :-) Thank you.

I'm a bit more proud of this one! Wish I remembered what inspired it...besides you guys of course.

As always, please enjoy.

* * *

><p>When Donatello meandered his way out of his lab at 11:38 that evening, rolling his shoulder to alleviate a knot that had developed in the muscle there, it was to the sight of Leonardo shifting the duffle bag slung across his chest and shoulders to sit more comfortably between the twin blades already taking up residence there.<p>

Donny froze, his hands dropping limply to his sides. Leo had just come back after his extended absence no more than two weeks ago. Things hadn't even settled down completely yet, and he was packing up to leave again? Don's hands tightened into hard fists.

"Going somewhere?" His voice was colder than he'd intended and he felt a little ashamed for talking to him that way, but then he remembered how difficult it had been without his leader, without his big brother. How everything had fallen apart and he, who could never leave things broken, could do nothing but try to _not_ lose the pieces.

Leo turned, his left hand still adjusting the strap of the duffle bag. "I didn't hear you come up Donny. You still working?"

"Just finished." Don nodded to the bag. "What's that for?"

"Oh this?" Leo glanced over his shoulder. "A change of clothing in case I—"

"So you _are _leaving." Donny interrupted.

"Well..." Leo began with a slight look of confusion, "yes, but only because—"

"What the _hell _Leo? Do you or do you not understand that your place is _here_? That _here _is where you're needed most!"

Leo's mouth snapped shut with an audible click as he gaped at his younger brother. It had always seemed to him that there had been something on Donny's mind, but always the peacekeeper, he'd never said a word.

"I'm not a _like _you Leo! I'm not cut out to be a leader, not the way you are. With you gone everything, _everything _fell apart. It was all I could do to just _support _the family let alone keep it together, or functioning if you can even call it that. You saw what happened to Raph and Mikey...though he'd never say it or show it because he doesn't like to think he's being a burden, but it affected him too. It hurt him to be alone the way he was, the way we all were. And I couldn't _do _anything about it. It practically tore me apart, and now you're leaving _again_? Where to this time...some remote part of China maybe?"

"Blockbuster."

"Or how about New Zealand? Or—what?"

"I'm going to Blockbuster, Don," Leo said calmly. He held up the DVD case. "To return the movie Mikey rented the other day. It's due today actually, before midnight. I figured I'd save you the late fee. You've been working so hard to support the family financially, even a small fee like this seemed like a waste and I figure it's the least I can do to help you out."

"You're going out...to return a movie..." Don repeated slowly, processing the new information. _Leo's not leaving. That's good. I just made a complete fool out of myself. Not so good. Foot, meet mouth._

"What's the change of clothing for?"

"Just in case the drop box was closed or something, and I'd have to return it personally. Just wanted to be prepared."

Don sighed and pinched the space between his eyes. "Look, Leo, I'm sorry for going off on you like that—"

"Don't worry about it." It was Leo's turn to interrupt. Closing the gap between himself and his sibling he dropped a comforting hand onto Don's shoulder. "I figured there had been a lot on your mind and I'm actually relieved that you finally opened up to me. I was a bit concerned that you didn't trust me with things like this anymore."

"That's ridiculous."

Leo offered him a bitter smile. "Is it? Like you said, I've been gone and you guys have all changed in my absence."

"Not as much as you may think."

Leo hummed his disagreement, but the bitter smile shifted into a more amused one. "Either way, I'm not going anywhere any time soon. You're absolutely right, my place is here." Leo glanced at the time. "But if I'm going to turn this in on time, I've got to go now."

Donny nodded. "While you're there, why don't you pick up a new one? Mikey has been wanting to watching _This Means War, _and it looks mildly entertaining. We haven't spent much down time together lately. You know...as brothers."

Leo's smile broadened. "You got it." He'd just reached the door when Don's voice gave him pause.

"Hey Leo?"

"Yes?"

"Hurry back?"

"Always."


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:**I do not own TMNT, I simply borrow because they're awesome.

Wow, it's been far too long...I hope to change that! We shall see. Anyway, I hope you find this as amusing as...well as much as I hope you do XD

By the way...I think this is where the T rating finally comes in. So yeah.

As always, please enjoy

* * *

><p>Mikey pressed his face to the glass of April's window and peered inside. "You sure she's expecting us, Donny?"<p>

"Yes, for the fiftieth time, I'm _sure_," Don huffed. "I offered to pick up the parts tomorrow morning, but she insisted tonight would be fine."

"I don't know, bro. I can't see a thing, maybe she forgot about us."

"Not surprising, considering the curtains are _closed_. Quit being such a creeper Mike," Don rolled his eyes at his brother and gently shoved him aside in order to open the window. Slipping past the drapes, Don stopped short.

"Hey, what gives?" Mikey asked of him after stumbling into his shell. Peering around his sibling, Mikey's eyes widened in discovery of April and Casey on the couch...lips locked and completely oblivious to the presence of the two turtles.

"I hate to admit it Mikey, but you may have been right." Donny replied with a mischievous quirk of his lips.

Mikey returned the look before whistling a cat call. The two humans sprung apart like they'd been burned.

"Well don't stop on our account," Don replied good-naturedly.

"Donny!" April gasped, a furious blush reddening her cheeks as she reached up to tame the equally red locks of hair that had slipped free of her usual style. "What are you do—what time is it!" She glanced at the clock. "Oh, I'm sorry Don! I lost track of time."

Donny gave her an amused look. "I noticed. Should I come back later?"

"You're already here, it would be silly not to take the parts with you. They're in the kitchen."

As Don followed after the still blushing girl to the kitchen he gave Casey a mock glare as he passed and mouthed the words _I'm watching you_.

"Ha ha, very funny Donny."

"At ease soldier," Mikey said to him, barely containing a laugh. "Here." Scooping up a pillow from the couch he held it out in offering. "You may be wanting this."

Casey turned to him with a befuddled look. "What?"

"I know I'm important Case, but there's no need for you to go to attention just cuz I walked into the room." With an evil grin, Mikey nodded his chin toward the man...well...below his belt to be more precise.

Casey glanced down and then he too turned a pale shade of pink before shielding himself with the pillow. "Argh! _Mikey!_"


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: **Don't own TMNT, but you knew that.

To my fantastic reviewers! You do more than just inspire me, you remind me that the world is actually a pretty cool place full of pretty cool people.

As always, please enjoy.

* * *

><p>The headlights of the subway were coming straight at him, and Raphael couldn't move. As in physically could. Not. <em>Move<em>.

At his feet, Casey dug the blade of Raph's borrowed sai into the strange goopy, sticky web-like substance gluing Raphael's feet to the subway track, working furiously to pry the stuff apart. He'd already managed to free the left and was now working on the right.

"I'm almost there buddy," he chanted, his hockey mask pushed high on his head, "almost there."

The wailing sound of the subway called, and Raph's stomach twisted.

"Forget it Case, you gotta go..._now._" Not waiting for the man's eminent protest, Raph fisted his fingers into the back of Casey's shirt, hauled him to his feet and with the sort of strength that only made itself present in life and death situations, he threw him up onto the cement ledge, and then braced himself for what he had already accepted.

His death.

The subway sped toward him and yet everything seemed to slow down as he recalled the events that had landed him in such a predicament.

The night had started off innocently enough. He and Casey had gone patrolling like they did every Friday. Nothing worth mentioning had occurred, and they'd been on their way back to the lair, lured with the promise of tacos and a _Doctor Who _marathon (Donny's choice) when they'd stumbled across the thug robbing a jewelry store.

He'd seemed normal at the time, and so had the guns he'd been brandishing. One was. The other had been tampered with, recreated to shoot sticky shit like Peter Parker in the new Spiderman movie.

They'd pursued him down to the subway tracks where they'd scuffled a bit. Casey had fallen off the ledge while he and the man had wrestled for custody of the stolen jewelry and Raph had jumped down to assist, and now he was never jumping back up again.

The subway horn blared, Raph ducked his head, reflexively throwing up his arms, and the last thought that flitted across his mind was _Leo will never forgive me for going first._

"_Raphael!_"

The breath was knocked out of him when the impact came and then, as he wheezed for breath he realized he shouldn't even be wheezing at _all._

Gradually his awareness returned to him and eventually he recognized the arms around him, the pulse throbbing against his temple, the curve of the throat his head was tucked against.

The subway blazed past, the rattling of it thundered in his ears. He could feel the tails of his mask whipping in the wind the speeding metro was making as it finally moved past them.

At last the tight grip on him loosened and Raphael was able to pull back. He blinked up at his brother, and then the ledge of the cement of the abandoned boarding platform above them.

He was alive. Holy fu–had he really just survived that?

Suddenly his sibling punched his shoulder. _Hard._

"_Ow_! Damn Leo, shell was that for!?" Raph demanded, rubbing the offended limb with a furious scowl.

"Don't you _ever _do that again!" Leo snarled, his eyes darker and angrier than Raph ever remembered seeing. Turned on him anyway.

Raphael felt his temper flare up. "Do what exactly? Stop crimes? Watch Casey's back?"

"Give up!"

"I–what?"

"You were almost free, _Raphael,_" The name came out as a hiss, "After you threw Casey, you could've kept trying, but you _didn't_. You'd just accepted that you were going to die, like you were _okay _with it."

"I..." Raph didn't know what to say. Had he given up? It didn't feel like it...he'd just been so preoccupied with protecting Casey it hadn't really occurred to him. He searched Leo's face, the clenched jaw, the hooded stare...and the fear behind his eyes. Raph's stomach dropped. "...I'm sorry."

"Never again." Leo declared, but it came out more like a question, like he was waiting for his brother's agreement.

"Never again," Raph promised.

"Hey! You two okay?" Mikey's upside-down face appeared over the edge of the platform, mask tails dangling comically.

Casey appeared next to him. "Dude, I'm so glad you ain't _dead._"

Raph exchanged a quiet look with his brother, one eye ridge raised.

Amusement pulled at the corner of Leo's mouth, despite his obvious attempt at resisting. "That makes four of us."

And with that Raphael knew he'd been forgiven.

"Great!" Mikey called enthusiastically once his brothers were next to him. "Now let's go eat some tacos! Whoa-ow!"


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: **Don't own! Never will! Think I can ever stop disclaiming?

To my readers and reviewers as always. Wouldn't be as much fun without you guys. Oh! And this is a companion piece to last chapter, hope you don't mind :-)

As always, please enjoy.

* * *

><p>Sighing in frustration, April straightened from searching the bags she'd brought over. "Sorry guys, looks like I forgot season two after all. I could have sworn I grabbed it...must have left it on the kitchen table when I was packing up."<p>

"Oh! I'll get it!" Mikey volunteered enthusiastically, raising his hand for emphasis. He held his free hand out for her house keys. "Or did you leave your window unlocked?"

"I didn't," she told him, dropping the keys into his open palm. "You sure you don't mind going?"

"Nope. Can't have a marathon without season two, now can we? Betcha I'll be back before Casey and Raph anyway," he announced, grinning cheekily.

"Hold on," Leo called after his brother, pulling off the apron Mikey had managed to slip over his head when his back was turned. Leo had decided to leave it on as a reward for the accomplishment. "I'm coming with you."

Mikey shrugged a shoulder. Whenever possible, Leo and Splinter preferred that none of them went topside alone. "Works for me. Let's go!"

"Do you mind helping Don in the kitchen in my place?" Leo asked of April.

With a kind smile she claimed the apron from his hands. "I'd be happy to."

"_Leeeooooo,_" Mikey huffed, dancing from foot to foot, "let's go! Or we'll never beat Raph back."

"All right, let's get moving."

"Be sure to make _loooooooots_ of tacos Donny!" Mikey called from the doorway.

"I'm fairly certain that our definitions of _loooooooots _are vastly different Michelangelo!" Donny called back, and even though they couldn't see it, the amused smile on his face was evident in his tone of voice.

"Are you always thinking about food?" Leo wondered of his little brother as they took to the sewers.

"Do you think I'm always thinking about food?" Mikey countered.

Leo raised an eye ridge. "I think you want me to think you're always thinking about food."

"You think that I'm thinking I want you to think that I'm always thinking about food?"

"I think—," Leo cut himself off. Were they really having _that _cliché conversation? "How do you _always _rope me into these things?"

Mikey shrugged innocently, an illusion that was easily shattered by the mischievous glint in his eyes. "Nobody can resist my charm."

"Is that what they're calling it these days?" Leo challenged with an amused shake of his head.

Upon reaching the surface, the two of them immediately took to the rooftops where they lapsed into a friendly race. Mikey reached April's first, though he had a sneaking suspicion that Leonardo hadn't been completely serious about the race in the first place, which was just fine with him. Moments when his sibling was something else besides serious were rare, and even more rare were the moments when Mikey questioned such occurrences.

"Hey look, right where she said it was," Mikey said after they'd let themselves in through the front door. He scooped up the boxed set and held it up for Leo's inspection.

His chin dipped ever so slightly in a silent confirmation.

Mikey tucked it into his belt next to his nunchaku. "We got everything?"

Leo pretended to look confused. "Were we supposed to pick up something else?"

"Were we?" Mikey looked horrified for a moment, as if he'd realized he'd forgotten to complete a homework assignment five minutes before it was due. "I can't remember!"

"Come on, Numbskull," Leo said with a roll of his eyes, Raph's usual insult sounding like a fond nickname from his mouth.

They'd just locked the door behind them when the call came. The two brothers froze for a moment and locked eyes as Leo pulled out his shell cell. Glancing at the screen, Leo answered it with a thoughtful frown. "Donatello?"

_"It's Raph."_

"What _about _Raph?" Leo demanded, his voice low and calm, but from the way his hand had suddenly fisted around the phone, Michelangelo was positive something was wrong.

_"We're not sure exactly…but Master Splinter says he needs help. You and Mikey are closer. I've already sent his location to you."_

"Understood. We'll take care of it."

"_Hurry, Leo."_

"Where is he?" Mikey asked the minute his brother hung up.

Leo's eyes skimmed screen. "Not far. Let's move."

This time the two brothers took to the rooftops with quick precision and a grim concentration they'd previously lacked. When Leonardo dropped over the edge of the roof to the ground below, Michelangelo didn't hesitate in diving after him.

On a street corner, the broken window of a jewelry store filled in some of the blanks. The sounding sirens of police cars in the distance urged them into an impossibly faster pace whilst keeping to the shadows as much as possible.

They turned another corner, raced down an alley, and then saw a figure wrapped in a dark, beat up hoodie with a black backpack strewn carelessly over his shoulder. He held a gun in each of his hands. Under more normal circumstances the two of them would have taken care of him ninja turtle style and left him somewhere nice for the cops to find.

At the moment they had more pressing concerns to deal with, that is until the bastard uttered the sentence the sealed his fate for the evening.

"Costumed freaks! I hope a train hits him!"

Michelangelo sensed rather than saw Leonardo go rigid. "No worries bro, I've got this one." Mikey veered slightly to the left and pulled ahead. He always had been a little faster than his brothers. "Go get Raph." And then he tackled the man, wrapping his arms around his torso and sending them both sprawling onto the pavement.

With barely a nod, Leo forced himself not to look back at the sounds coming from the scuffle between his brother and the human criminal behind him. At the moment, there was one sibling who needed him more.

After what felt like far too long, he was able to make out their shapes in the dim light of old and distant streetlamps. Raphael was somehow trapped on the tracks and Casey was sawing desperately away at whatever bound him there, with good reason for a subway train was racing toward them. Ever the protector, Raph threw their friend to safety on the ledge above them.

For as long as he lived, Leo knew he'd never forget the feeling of absolute terror he felt at that moment, and the images that followed. An angry knot twisted in his gut the moment he recognized acceptance in his brother's eyes.

He snarled. "_Raphael!_"

Launching himself from the opposite ledge, Leonardo bowled into his brother, tackling him into safety just in time. Leo tightened his arms around his sibling, subconsciously tucking himself around himto protect him as the train thundered past. The blood pounding in his ears drowned out the roar of the subway.

Once he was sure the train was gone, he loosened his hold and Raphael pulled back, blinking up at him. There was disbelief in his gaze and for some reason that pissed Leo off even more, never mind the fact that he'd been furious to begin with.

Hand tightening into an iron fist, he brought it back and without any measure of reserve, slammed it into Raph's shoulder.

"_Ow_! Damn Leo, shell was that for!?" Raph demanded with a furious scowl, rubbing the spot that would probably be bruised tomorrow morning. Good.

"Don't you _ever _do that again!" He snarled through clenched teeth.

He could tell from the way Raph's shoulders pulled back slightly that his temper was rearing its ugly head, of course according to Mikey everything about their hotheaded brother was ugly. At the moment, he may wholeheartedly agree.

"Do what exactly? Stop crimes? Watch Casey's back?"

Leo refrained from hitting him again. "Give up!"

"I–what?"

"You were almost free, _Raphael." _Leo hissing the name with all the contempt he was feeling. "After you threw Casey, you could've kept trying, but you _didn't_. You'd just accepted that you were going to die, like you were _okay _with it."

"I..." Raph trailed off, speechless for once and Leo noted with a sense of satisfaction that Raph was _getting _it. He watched as Raph's eyes darted across his face before meeting with his own. He recognized the exact moment when Raphael realized exactly what Leonardo was trying to say to him.

"...I'm sorry."

"Never again."

"Never again," Raph promised.

"Hey! You two okay?" Mikey's upside-down face appeared over the edge of the platform, mask tails dangling comically.

Casey appeared next to him. "Dude, I'm so glad you ain't _dead._"

Leo and Raph exchanged bemused expressions. Pfft, Casey, always so blunt.

Amusement pulled at the corner of Leo's mouth, despite his attempt of resisting it. "I suppose that makes four of us."

"Great!" Mikey called enthusiastically, reaching down to offer his hand to a brother. Leo gripped his forearm and allowed him to hoist him up as Casey did the same for Raph. When all four of them stood on the same platform Mikey threw his arms up into the air. "Now let's go eat some tacos! Whoa-ow!"

Leo caught his elbow just as he moved to dart past, "Mikey hold on."

Oblivious, Raph and Casey wandered ahead.

"Leo?" Mikey raised an eye ridge at his Leader. "Uh…everything okay dude?"

Leonardo quickly examined his brother from head to toe, looking for any sort of injury. "You okay? How'd everything go?"

"M'fine. And…uh…go?" Mikey's head titled to the side slightly.

Leonardo let out an impatient breath through his nose. "The jewel thief. What happened with the jewel thief?"

"_Oh_! _That _go. Nothing to worry about oh brother of mine." Mikey threw an arm casually over Leo's shoulders and tugged him along. "Remember that time when Donny duct taped me to the wall? And then Master Splinter did the same thing?"

"As if I could forget, but how is this relevant?"

An enigmatic smirk tugged at Mikey's mouth. "Let's just say I used my experiences for inspiration."

* * *

><p>Two blocks away, the very man who had put their brother's life in danger now hung, upside down mind you, from the roof of the jewelry store he'd robbed barely an hour ago, the sticky bindings of his gun the very source suspending him from said roof.<p>

It was safe to say that the cruel irony was not lost on him.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: **Do not own TMNT, simply borrow...frequently.

As always, please enjoy

* * *

><p>Donatello walked into the dojo and it took everything in his willpower not to turn around and walk back out. Instead, he rolled his eyes and sunk to his knees beside his brother, joining him as they both watched, completely unimpressed mind you, as their other brothers battled their way across the dojo.<p>

"What triggered it _this _time," Donny sighed, sounding very much like he wanted to scrub a tired hand across his face.

Mikey rose and dropped a shoulder in a nonchalant shrug. "Dunno. Wasn't here for that part."

"Dare I ask how long they've been at it?" Don wove his hand dismissively in the direction of his brawling siblings.

Mikey shrugged again. "No idea."

"That long huh?" With another sigh, Don hoisted himself up onto his feet. "I suppose I should settle this dispute before it escalates too far."

"Hold on bro," Mikey caught his wrist. "I've got an idea."

"In my experience Mikey, every time I hear you utter those words I usually end up in some sort of trouble, injured, or looking like a fool. Forgive me if not all that keen on finding out what this idea of yours is…"

"Yeah yeah," Mikey dismissed, "you gonna help me or what?"

"Do I have a choice?"

Mikey grinned. "To the kitchen!"

"The what?" But Mikey was too busy toting him after to answer or clarify.

Not five minutes later Mikey managed to wriggle his way between his feuding brothers, a few select items from the kitchen cradled in his arm.

Donny stood nearby in case he had to intervene. Raphael's temper was sometimes unpredictable.

"Raph, Leo, hold up!" Mikey declared, placing a hand against Raph's plastron to nudge him back and get his attention.

"Outta the way Mikey!" Raph hissed, "I ain't done teachin' Fearless a lesson."

"Oh is that what you call it?" Leo taunted back, "You have to be a _student _before you can be a teacher, _Raph_."

Snarling, Raph lunged, but the broccoli suddenly appearing in his face caused him pause.

"The broccoli says 'I look like a tree'!" Mikey said. Then he exchanged the vegetable for a mushroom. "And the mushroom says 'I look like an umbrella'!"

By now Leo and Raph were watching their little brother with mirrored expressions of absolute bemusement and similar concerns for Mikey's sanity. They looked to Donny for answers, but Donatello simply hid his eyes behind his hand and just barely refrained from pinching the space between them.

"The walnut says 'I look like a brain'!" Mikey continued, either ignoring or completely oblivious to the looks he was receiving. "And finally the banana says—"

At that moment Don leapt forward, covering Mikey's banana occupied hand with his and shoving it down. "Can we please change the subject?"


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: **I do not own TMNT, I simply borrow for entertainment purposes.

To my wonderful reviewers and readers! Your support keeps me writing.

As always, please enjoy.

* * *

><p>Michelangelo jumped in surprise at the sudden angry outburst from one of his siblings, and then he himself cried out in dismay when a red skull encircled by a gear of matching color flashed across the TV screen, signaling the death of his character.<p>

"Look at what you made me do, _Raph_!" Mikey glared at the offending brother over his shoulder. "Thanks to you I died."

"Yeah, like you need any sort of help gettin' distracted," Raphael replied with a lazy roll of his eyes and a heavy punch to his punching bag. "You're like that cat of yours, see somethin' shiny and you totally forget yourself."

"Hey!" Mikey declared in protest. "That only happened _once_!"

Raph paused long enough to shoot his brother a smirk. "Still happened now didn't it? Not that it matters anyhow, wasn't me who yelled."

"It wasn't?" Mikey said, befuddled. "Well then who—?"

Raph glanced toward Don's lab.

Mikey's jaw almost dropped. "That was _Donny_? I thought only _you _could make sounds that ugly."

"Then you obviously don't hear yourself when y'talk," Raph countered.

Mikey chose to ignore the comment. "Someone should probably go see if everything is okay."

"Probably," Raph agreed with a grunt as he returned to his workout.

"Well?" Mikey prompted when nothing happened.

"If nobody's bleedin' then it ain't none of my business. 'Sides, I checked on him last time. It's somebody else's turn," he added.

"Some brother _you _are," Mikey scoffed as he reluctantly left the couch, and his controller, to check on his apparently distraught and upset sibling.

"Do what I can!" Raph called after him.

Rolling his eyes, Mikey cautiously rapt his knuckles on the door. "Doooon?" He called, dragging out the syllable with an unsure quality to his tone of voice. "Everything okay in there, bro?"

"_No_," came the muffled response, "everything is _not _okay."

"Right…so um…is it safe to come in or should I go get Leo?"

There was shuffling from within, a thud, a curse, and then Donatello opened the door. "Hey Mikey, did you need something?"

"Nothing in particular." Michelangelo stood on tiptoe to peer over Don's shoulder into the lab. "Whatcha got going on in there? Whatever it is, seems to be gettin' the better of you."

Donatello dragged a tired hand across his face with a weary sigh.

Mikey whistled. "That bad huh?"

"Well, not exactly," Donny replied, his hand now at the back of his neck and massaging the muscles there. "It's just the upgrade program for the Battle Shell I've been working on isn't working the way I want it to."

"Not the way you want it to?" Mikey repeated back to him. "Does that mean it _does _actually work?"

"Well...yes, b—,"

"Take a break dude." Mikey cut him off.

Don shot his brother an impatient look. "I _can't_. There's still work to be done."

Mikey scoffed. "Yeah, like it'll get easier to work being all frustrated like that. You need a break bro. Refresh the mind, free the senses, loosen the body!"

"Mikey," Don said, trying and failing to sound more annoyed rather than amused.

"Don, if you wait to do everything until you're sure it's right, you'll probably never do much of anything."

Donatello blinked, caught off guard by his brother's logic, it was so vastly different from his own. Mikey always saw things simply, but then not everything required a complicated answer. Or so Donatello had come to understand.

"Wanna play co-op with me?" Mikey jerked his head toward the living room. "I'm starting a new game anyhow."

Donny glanced at his desk out of the corner of his eye, then to Mikey who was dramatically batting his eyes at him.

"You know you waaaaaaaants toooooo," he sing-songed.

"Video games aren't exactly what I was picturing when you mentioned loosening the body."

"Loosens the fingers!" Mikey playfully wriggled the appendages in front of Don's face. "It's important to have nimble fingers when handling weapons you know."

Donny hummed thoughtfully, making a show of pretending to seriously consider. "Well…when you put it that way…"

"All right!" Mikey whooped, punching the air for emphasis. "Dibs on Fenix!" He declared, racing to the couch.

Behind him Donatello shook his head with a fond smile. It was amazing really, how Michelangelo could sound so smart one minute…and a total goofball the next.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: **I do not own TMNT, I simply borrow for entertainment purposes.

To my reviewers, and followers and and alerters and such, you are all my inspiration to continue writing. I hope to hear from you all someday.

As always, please enjoy.

* * *

><p>With the fabric of his mask snug over his eyes, Leonardo ran through the motions of a kata, the twin blades in his hands like extensions of himself. Gradually he increased his pace, the beat of his heart rising to match.<p>

One by one, the candles substituting for his opponents were extinguished by means of steel. A sudden shift in the air had Leonardo changing course, but before his katana made contact with its target, he froze his attack.

"Michelangelo," he said with a sigh and an impatient tug on the knot of his mask. He spun it around so he could see again and his eyes narrowed a fraction at the sight of his katana poised over his brother's jugular. "If you weren't going to block, you could have at least ducked."

"What for?"

Leo blinked, momentarily surprised. "I could have hurt you."

"Never happen," Mikey scoffed.

Leonardo snorted, torn between feeling miffed with Mikey for dismissing his own personal safety and the humbleness he felt upon being confronted with his little brother's apparent faith in him and his abilities.

"Just do me a favor and block _all _weapons aimed in your general direction."

In the blink of an eye Michelangelo had whipped out his nunchaku and used it to knock away the blade at his throat. "Better?" He asked, returning his weapon to his belt with a grin.

"Very much so," Leo replied with a light roll of his eyes as he sheathed his own weapons.

"We're going on a junkyard run, come with!"

"Sorry Mike," Leo stared at the space over Mikey's shoulder to avoid the disappointment he would find in his brother's gaze. Though he was loath to admit it, even to himself, he had a very hard time saying no to those eyes. Particularly when they wanted something. "I haven't finished here yet."

"Bro, you've been in here for like...ever."

"I'm about to train with Master Splinter."

Mikey let out a long, dramatic sigh, for there was no winning against their sensei. "You say I need to focus more often-"

"Because it's the truth."

"-but I say you need to loosen up every once in awhile. Next time, I'm not taking no for an answer," Mikey promised with that particular gleam in his eyes. The one he got right before he was about to prank somebody, or when he was after something he wanted.

There would be no living with him if he was refused.

"I believe you." Leo replied with a solemn nod.

"You'd better," Mikey said darkly "because I know where you live." And then he made the universal sign of 'I'm watching you'. A gesture he held up as he slowly backed up toward the exit. Then he seemed to think better of it and vanished in a flourish of purple hued smoke.

Leo chuckled at his antics and reached for the hilts of his katana. As he redrew the blades once more he his brothers from the living area.

"Mikey!" Don's voice sounded beyond impatient and more than a little irked. "How many times have I told you to _quit wasting the ninja smoke bombs!_"

Leo's smile dimmed a fraction. He felt like he should be with them.

"If you had wished to go with your brothers my son, we could have postponed until a later time. After all, this training session was by your request."

Leonardo whirled around and bowed respectfully to his father. "Thank you, Master Splinter, but it was because I made the request that I can't. It would be disrespectful."

"Perhaps." Splinter hummed approvingly. Laughter from his other three sons trickled in through the open door and he noticed the subtle movement of Leonardo's eyes as they darted toward the sound. "There are many lessons to learn during one's time here on Earth," Splinter began.

"Yes, Sensei." Leonardo said with his undivided attention.

"A large portion of them cannot be learned in a dojo." He finished.

"I understand."

One of Splinter's brows rose as he studied his son with a thoughtful hum. Closing the distance between them, Splinter dropped a fatherly hand on Leo's shoulder, his other hand still resting on the walking stood he carried everywhere with him. "Someday, for some reason, your life will flash before your eyes Leonardo. Make sure it is worth watching."

Leonardo's gaze dropped to the floor, though from the distant look his eyes it wasn't the floor that he was studying. For half a heartbeat his eyes flickered toward the door, and then rose to meet his master's.

Splinter dipped his chin, a knowing smile on his face. "Go. I will be here upon your return."

"Thank you Master Splinter," Leonardo smiled and resheathed his swords once more, bowed, and then made a beeline for the exit.

Splinter watched him go with a fondness in his eyes, but when he heard the opening and closing of the door to their lair he almost snickered to himself as he glided out of the room. It was personal time.

He sighed as his fingers closed around the remote and he sunk into his personal chair. "Alone at last."


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: **I do not own TMNT, I simply borrow for entertainment purposes.

To my wonderful reviewers and readers! Your support keeps me writing.

As always, please enjoy.

* * *

><p>Raphael could feel eyes on him like a hand on his shoulder.<p>

Jaw stealing and fingers tightening around the spoon in his grip, Raph resigned himself to reluctantly meeting the eager, baby blue eyes staring unwaveringly at him from across the breakfast table.

"What d'you want Mikey," he said gruffly, "your face is making me lose my appetite."

Mikey regarded him with a wide grin. "I just wanted to let you know that it was great growing up with someone like you."

Alarm bells went off in the back of his mind and Raph watched him suspiciously. "What do you want."

"Can't I say something nice to a beloved brother without wanting something?" Mikey puckered his bottom lip in a ridiculous pout.

Raph scoffed. "No."

Miraculously, Mikey's pout became even _more _ridiculous. "But there is more I wanted to say!"

"Oh?" he draweled sarcastically before shoveling a mouthful of cereal into his mouth and swallowing, "please, _do_ go on."

Michelangelo made a show of straightening in his chair and clearing his throat. "Like I said, it was great growing up with someone like you. Someone to lean on, someont to count on..."

Raphael quirked a brow at him.

"And finally...someone to _tell_ on!"

That was as good as any delcaration of war Raph had ever heard.

"_Mikey_..." he said dangerously low, basking in the satisfaction that came with his brother's widening eyes. "I'm gonna _kill _you!" Slamming his spoon onto the table, he leapt to his feet (his chair falling backward in the process) and dove over the table top to tackle him to the ground.

He vaguly noticed that Leo and Don were coming in from the other room and as their two quarreling siblings came rolling past they simply parted ways mid-conversation to allow them to tumble past.

"No broken bones please," Don called after. "I'd rather not have to play doctor today."

"Don't break anything else either!" Leo added.

It really was great growing up with such brothers.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N:** As per usual, I do not own TMNT, I simply borrow for entertainment purposes.

To my wonderful reviewers, you inspire to me to keep writing. I hope this next one doesn't disappoint.

Also, this particular tidbit takes place in the 2013 story line. Sorry for any confusion!

As always, please enjoy.

* * *

><p>Raphael noticed it first, or so he'd thought until Master Splinter had caught his eye after a training session and raised a furry eyebrow in a sort of 'what are you going to do about it?' manner.<p>

Raphael's brow creased and he glanced back at his brother in time to catch sight of him leaving the dojo. "…sensei?"

"Yes, Raphael?"

Raphael sighed, because he already knew or could guess at least, what his Master would say. "Nevermind."

Tucking his sai into his belt Raph followed his siblings out. Donatello was already off tinkering with who knew what and Leonardo had planted himself on the couch, one of his katana balanced across his knees as he polished, shined, and sharpened while the opening credits of his favorite show flashed across the screen.

"Hey," Raph greeted, "where's the doofus?"

"Mikey?" Leo wondered out loud.

"Duh, Mikey. Though I'll be sure to tell Don you think of him as a Doofus. I'm sure he'll appreciate the sentiment."

That earned him a dirty look thrown over a shoulder and Raph smirked in response. "So, the doofus?"

"Last I saw, _Mikey _was headed to his room." Leo said with a disapproving look.

Raph rolled his eyes at that and glanced in the general direction of Michelangelo's bedroom. "His room huh?"

"Is that so surprising?" Leo said sarcastically.

"No," Raph bit back with a slightly defensive tone. "Was expecting the kitchen is all. Can you blame me? Dude's got a black hole for a freaking stomach. With how much he eats, it's a wonder he's so puny."

"And you're looking for him why?" Leo asked, redirecting the topic.

"No reason. Your show's on." He jerked his chin toward the TV screen, effectively shifting Leo's attention away from him. Who knew the best minutes to talk to his brother would be the two minutes that was the length of the opening? Storing this information away for future use, Raph left Leo to his show and made straight for Mikey's room.

When Raphael reached Mikey's room the door was open so he opted for rapping his knuckles on the doorframe before walking in. "Yo, Mikey, got a minute?"

Michelangelo was sprawled out on the floor on his stomach, a slice of pizza in one hand while his other leafed through the comic book on the floor in front of him. His head and legs bobbed to the beat only he could hear playing through large orange earphones. A gift from April.

"Hey, Mikey!" Raph called, his voice louder this time. His brow creased in a heavy frown when he still received no answer. Huffing in annoyance, he marched up to his little brother and snatched the earphones right off his head. "Can you hear me _now_!?"

"Gah!" Mikey jumped in response, his fist reflexively striking out, his clenched knuckles skimming Raph's jaw as he leaned back to dodge.

"Jeez, Raph, knock much?" Mikey snatched the slice of pizza he'd dropped, "five second rule!" And trapped it between hungry teeth. "Did'ja need somefin'?" He asked around the food.

Grumbling, Raph traced his fingers along his smarting jaw. He'd managed to dodge the main force of the surprise blow, but it stung a little. His brother was nothing if not fast. "I _did_!" He said finally, "obviously you didn't hear me." He tossed the earphones which Mikey deftly caught. "If I'd been Leo, you'd be getting a lecture about being snuck up on right about now."

Michelangelo shrugged a shoulder. "Meh," he dismissed easily, "not like I was in any real danger. Besides that's what we've got you and Leo for right?"

Raphael flinched as Mikey bent to retrieve his comic book. "Yeah, Mike, about that?"

"'Bout what bro?"

"Um…" Raph faltered once he was confronted with his brother's baby blue eyes. They were truly dangerous, no matter what anybody said. "Well…" he massaged the back of his neck, turning his eyes toward the ceiling as if he'd find the words he was looking for engraved there. He was uncomfortable. He didn't appreciate being uncomfortable. Already he could feel his discomfort bleeding into frustration and anger.

"Um, well, what?" Mikey repeated. He wove his comic book dramatically under Raph's nose. "Not getting any younger here dude, and there are super heroes to be read about!"

"Would you get that thing outta my face?" He snapped, batting it away with a glower.

"What?" Mikey said playfully, "this thing?" He wove it in front of his face again, before tapping Raph's cheek with it and yanking it back before Raph could bat it away again.

"Seriously, Mikey, knock it off."

"_Seriously, Mikey, knock it off_." Mikey parroted, dropping his voice a couple of octaves and crossing his arms with an overly dramatic scowl.

"Are you…mimicking me?" Raphael asked with a semblance of disbelief.

"_Are you mimicking me?_"

Raph felt a tick in his jaw as he rolled his fingers into a tight fist and then he slowly unfurled them. _Water over stone. Remember why you came here Raph, remem—_

Once more Mikey waved the rolled up comic in face.

"That's it!" Raph snarled. Several things happened at once. Raph lunged, snatching the comic out of his brother's grip in the process and Mikey screamed, spinning on his heel to make a run for it. He was fast, that was for sure, but Raphael had momentum on his side.

Catching the edge of Mikey's shell, he gave a might yank which deposited his brother onto the floor. Dropping down on top of him, he pinned him in place between his knees and with his left hand on his shoulder, his right wielding the comic book as he whapped it repeatedly over Mikey's head. Not too hard of course.

Legs flailing and shrieking almost non-stop (his lung capacity was a miracle. Truly.), Mikey threw his hands up in defense to ward off the attacks. This must have continued for a bit for the next thing either of them realized, they were being scolded.

"I know it's next to impossible to ask for total silence when I'm working in the lab, but when I'm working with a blow torch, which is incredibly hot and _dangerous _mind you, is it too much to ask that_ you not scream bloody freaking murder!_" Donatello stood panting in the doorway with his work goggles high on his head, a dirty wrench in one hand and a rag in the other.

Raph and Mikey froze mid scuffle and Mikey titled his head back to put his irate brother in view. "Um…Donny? That's a wrench, not a blow torch."

Don brandished the wrench threateningly in Mikey's direction. "I will use this."

Mikey drew his fingers across his lips in a zipping motion, and then tossed the invisible key across the room.

Donatello glanced between his two siblings skeptically before departing.

"I blame you," Mikey said once he was gone.

"What?" Raph scoffed, "_you_ were the one screaming like a frightened little girl!"

"Who _wouldn't _be scared with a face like yours around?" Mikey shot back. "Can I get up now?" He asked with a thump on his brother's plastron before he went limp.

"Just like that?" Raph asked, oddly disappointed.

"Huh?"

"You're giving up just like that?" Raphael clarified.

"Um, _hello_?" Mikey reached up to lightly knock his knuckles on Raph's skull. Cringing, Raph caught his wrist with a growl, but Mikey continued talking. "Weren't you here when Don went all psycho on us just now?"

"Asking for silence does _not _make me _crazy Michelanglo_!"

Both Raph and Mikey stared bewildered at the empty doorway. How had he _heard _that?

"Dude, you're not getting any lighter. You gonna get up or do I have to shout for Leo?"

Raph frowned. There it was again. Whatever _it _was. He wasn't sure quite how to explain it, or what to call it, but he could feel something was off, and he'd seen glimpses of _it _for days. Usually in the dojo. Whenever Mike and Don were paired up together, their carefree brother seemed to put a little more fire into his training, but whenever he was up against Raph or Leo, he just sort of toned it down, like he'd already decided he wasn't going to win, or that he knew his brothers expected him to lose. And what was even _more _frustrating is Raph was bothered by this.

Mikey wasn't a fighter. Not like Leo or himself were, but Mikey was _good_ when his mind didn't get in the way. It was natural for him, and his speed was impressive as he frequently noticed. Mikey could beat them, had beaten them, but not since the A Team, B Team incident. His attitude had just sorta shifted…and very subtly. It appeared even Leo hadn't noticed yet.

"Why would you need Leo's help?" Raph challenged.

Mikey blinked up at him and Raph stared into blue eyes, hunting for answers that were hidden from him. "What?"

Raph didn't repeat himself, he knew Mikey had heard. He did, however, have to thump a tight fist against Mikey's shoulder to get him to answer.

"Because Leo could beat you." Michelangelo finally answered.

Raph tried not to let on how much _that _little comment had pissed him off and reminded himself that it was just the A Team, B Team grouping that he himself and Leo had mentioned causing this. Technically, he'd brought this on upon himself.

And it took everything in his willpower to ignore his pride and say what he said next. "So could you or Don."

Mikey shrugged and Raph started losing patience. "I'm serious Mike."

Mikey heard the impatience in his voice and quirked a brow. "Okaaaaaay," he drawled. "What's this _really _about?"

Raphael frowned. Curse his brother and his ability to read past what people actually said. "You gonna make me spell it out for ya?"

Mikey pursed his lips and he stared stubbornly.

"You're acting strange." Raph finally said. "Knock it off."

"_I'm _acting strange?" Mikey gawked. "Seriously dude? You're the one pinning me to the floor bro!"

"Mikey, _seriously_. You've been actin' weird, and it's been weirding me out. In practice you really only put effort in with Don, and you've been…kind of careful around Leo and me. Even outside the dojo."

Mikey raised a brow and Raph considered the idea that maybe Mikey didn't realize how he was acting…or maybe Mikey wasn't acting differently at all and he had just been seeing things or something.

Oh forget it, he'd already gone this far. It'd be stupid to stop now. "I mean today…you didn't really crack any jokes or make any karate kid references or any other stupid stuff when we were sparing today. Or when you were paired up with Leo yesterday, or the day before that either."

"Wait, wait. Hold up. You're saying I haven't been making _enough _jokes? Are we sure you're not the one with the problem? Hold on, I'll call Don back and he can check your brain! You've got one right?" Mikey took a deep breath, preparing to shout for his brother, but Raph's hand clasping over his mouth silenced him, and his cheeks ballooned out with the excess air.

"Look. I'm gonna say this, and I'm gonna say this _once_. You and Don, you two ain't fighters like Leo n' me. We…" he paused. Took a breath. "Our style is more aggressive I guess, than yours, not that you can't take care of business when it gets down to it. Guess what I'm trying to say is… the reason we made this whole A Team—B Team thing was our way of saying we'd rather fight so you two don't have to. Get it?"

Michelangelo nodded and Raphael lifted his hand. Mikey let out the breath he'd been holding and regarded his brother with a searching look before giving him a doubtful one. "Yeah right Raph, like I'm gonna believe that's the _only _reason."

Raph's eyes lit up, pleased that Mikey had understood and was acting _normal _again. _It _was finally gone. "Okay, so I also like to rub it in your face that I'm better than you."

"Oh yeah?" Mikey twisted his body, shoved up with his arms and, using the momentum, somehow managed to flip Raph onto the floor. "Didn't you say I could beat you?"

"Mikey…"

"Yeah?"

"I'm gonna pulverize you."

"Have to catch me first!" And then the Mikey was gone, shrieking as Raph gave chase, and seriously, it was truly annoying how fast the little booger could be.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: **I do not own, I simply borrow for entertainment purposes.

To my reviewers! And readers. You are my inspiration and keep me writing.

As always, please enjoy.

* * *

><p>"Darts!" Donatello shouted in warning. He brought his bo staff up in front of him, spinning it in a constant wheel of motion between deft fingers. Most of the darts clattered to the concrete, but there were a handful embedded into the wood of his staff.<p>

"Thanks for sharing," he said, bringing his staff back over his shoulder, "but you can have these _back_!" And swinging like he was wielding a baseball bat, he dislodged the 'stowaways' and sent them back to where they'd come from.

"_Don!"_

Not liking the desperation he heard, Donny whirled around on his heel, jabbing the end of his staff into a Foot soldier's gut along the way.

A few yards to his left, his brother stood in a deadlock with one of his weapons shoving hard against a katana aimed for his neck, the other arm hanging uselessly at his side—a dart protruding from his bicep. His blade's twin lay on the ground at his feet.

"Leo!" Donatello immediately broke out into a sprint and used his staff as a pole vault to propel himself over a handful of charging Foot ninja. Spinning in mid-air to gain momentum, he landed in a crouch at his brother's feet. Flicking the right end of his staff upwards into the Foot Ninja's elbow, he effectively disarmed the man before promptly following through with a sweeping motion, jabbing the left end of the staff into the man's diaphragm.

Don felt smug at the sound of the breath leaving the ninja's lungs as he tucked himself up under Leo's arm and returned his weapon to its usual place against his shell. With his hand now free, he removed the dart from his brother's arm and tossed it aside with a scowl while stooping to collect Leonardo's dropped sword.

"Talk to me Leo," Don ordered, returning the blade to its sheath. Then, hooking his fingers around the opposite edge of Leo's shell, he backed them up toward the side of the rooftop, his eyes sweeping over the wave of black.

He counted twelve. Not horrible odds, but there was no telling what the dart had been dipped into or what sort of poison or drug now coursed through Leo's veins. At the moment, time was of the essence and posed a greater threat than twelve Foot soldiers.

"M'not losing consciousness….just a wittle…whu-whu-whu."

"Woozy? Or weak?" Donatello asked.

"Yes."

"Time to go home. Now." From his belt, Donny extracted a smoke bomb and threw it toward the group of advancing ninja and under the cover of smoke managed to get himself and his sibling onto the rooftop of a building half a block down from where they'd been.

Easing his brother down next to an air duct ventilation system, he knelt down in front of him, cupping his face with one hand and lifting a drooping eyelid with the other. "Look at me Leo, look at me." He murmured, staring into his brothers eyes. Great. Dilated pupils. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

Leo frowned at Don's finger, his eyes squinting in concentration. He squeezed his eyes shut, shook his head, and stared again. "Um..."

"Nevermind," Donny interrupted. "How do you feel? Feverish? Nauseous? Is your mouth dry? Is your arm still numb?"

Leo's head swam as he tried to keep up with Don's questions. He opted for answering the last one and glanced at the appendage in question. He wiggled his fingers. "Sort of?"

"Are you asking me?"

"No?"

Donny sighed, half relieved and half frustrated. Whatever was on the dart didn't appear to be poisonous, but was certainly affecting Leo's thought process. "Can you stand?" Gripping Leo's forearms, he helped his sibling get his feet beneath him. "You okay?"

"Yep! I can do it."

If Don wasn't still concerned with being found, he'd have laughed. Leo was sort of acting like…well like he was drunk. Or Mikey. "Are you sure?"

"Yep!"

"Well all right then…"The minute Don let go, he knew he shouldn't have. "_Leo_!" He hissed, reaching for him, but it was too late as his older brother teetered for a moment and then promptly fell over.

"_Weeeeeeeeeee!_"

Don winced at the sight of his leader face down on the rooftop.

"There they are!"

Donatello glanced over his shoulder. "Well shell." Scooping his brother up, he struggled to balance Leo's weight.

"Let's do that again!" Leo clapped, which was awkward because one of his arms was currently slung across Donny's shoulders. Donny flinched back, just barely managing to dodge Leo's clumsy fingers. Scratch that last bit…he was acting like a _drunk_ Mikey.

"Let's not!" Donny hissed, urging his brother into a run as The Foot gave chase behind them.

Leo tried to keep up, but it was like his joints were made of Jell-O and his feet were rebelling against him. Donatello practically dragged him across rooftops and after their third clumsy landing, with bruised knees and scuffed up shins, he came to the conclusion that he had two options. Carry Leo in a firemen's carry and pray he could outrun them, or leave Leo in one place and take The Foot out on his own.

"Look Donny, iz'za shooting star!" Leo swung his arm up, clipping Don's chin in the process and pointed toward the blinking white lights of a plane. "Make a wish!"

"Not now Leo." Don hissed, untangling himself from Leo's arms and lowering him to the ground. He has lost all patience for flailing arms aimed at his face. "I need to take care of something, and I need you to stay here, okay?"

"I can do that."

"All right." Don turned, but stopped when a hand caught his wrist. He looked back questioningly.

"Are we going somewhere?" Leo asked innocently, staring up at him with impossibly wide eyes and pupils to match.

"No, not _we_." Don corrected, gently prying Leo's fingers from his wrist. "Just me. I need to go take care of some business so we can go home. Do you understand Leo?" He spoke slowly, praying that Leo's rational side wasn't completely buried under the drug-induced haze.

"Mmmmm, okay. Sounds good."

Don sighed, his eyes scanning the rooftops for their pursuers. They weren't far, and as he turned once more to confront them before they got too close, he heard Leo moving to follow.

Biting bike a snarl of frustration, Don knelt in front of him and gripped his shoulders. "Leo, _no_. You are going to _stay _here, as in _not _move, or follow. I will go take care of them and you will stay_ here. _Am I making myself_ clear?_"

Leonardo squinted up into his eyes, studying him. "Nnnnnnnn-no. You're a _little _fuzzy around the edges, but if you keep working at it, you'll get there. " He patted Don's cheek comfortingly, "Ooh look! A pigeon!"

"I'm sorry Leo, but this is really for our own good." Don said under his breath, raising his recently drawn staff over his head as Leo went to follow the pigeon. He winced as Leo's body crumpled unconscious to the ground and lowered his staff, guilt sitting heavy like a lump of stone in his stomach. Yes, it was official. Leo was so going to get him back for this…


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N:** I do not own TMNT I simply borrow for entertainment purposes!

To my wonderful readers, and amazing reviewers. You really do keep me writing.

As always, I hope you enjoy

* * *

><p>With Leonardo propped up in a corner of the rooftop and hidden in shadows, Donatello spun on his heel and dove straight into a full sprint. Normally he'd have waited for the Foot soldiers to reach him, as the charging-in-weapons-blazing tactic was more up Raphael's alley, but he couldn't risk the ninja getting close to Leo. Not while he was unable to defend himself. Therefore the task fell onto Don's shoulders, a responsibility he had every intention of seeing through. Thoroughly.<p>

As silent as the blood pulsing angrily in his veins, Donatello threw himself at the first ninja he reached, tackling him hard to the ground and kicking off of his chest into a flip in one fluid motion. Landing on delicate feet, Donatello struck out with his left foot in a high kick.

His heel connected with a second ninja's chin before he used the momentum to propel himself one hundred-eighty degrees in order to sweep the feet out from under a third with his staff. A well-aimed and precise strike to the head ensured the man wouldn't be getting up again for this fight.

Out of his peripheral vision Don detected movement and he ducked just in time as the blade of a katana sliced through the air. Catching a kick aimed for his ribs in the crook of his elbow, Don stood abruptly, knocking the man off balance. Readjusting his grip, Donny threw him into another Foot soldier and both crumpled to the ground. Not pausing long enough to see if they were out, Don opted for blocking the kunai plunging for his face with his bo staff instead.

Preoccupied as he was, he didn't notice the fist flying in until it connected with the edge of his mouth. Stumbling back, Don quickly recovered his balance and paused a moment to catch his breath.

Thoroughly pissed off at this point, Donatello swung out with his staff. When the foot soldier he was aiming for caught it instead, he took advantage. Kicking off of the ground hard and using his bo staff like a gymnast's bar, he flipped up over the man's head. When Don landed behind him, he bent at the waist, dragging the ninja who was still gripping his staff, up and over his shell and slammed him hard into the ground.

Following through with the movements, Don threw his body into a handstand and kicked out with both legs in a modified scissor-kick, sending two more Foot soldiers flying. Landing in a crouch, he leaned to the right to dodge another blow aimed to the head and blocked the follow up strike with his forearm, countering with an uppercut to the stomach. When the man hunched over, Don finished him with a side hook punch to the jaw.

Spitting blood from his split lip, Don snatched up his staff from where it had been laying safely pinned beneath his foot and confronted the final three opponents who had come to the predictable, albeit logical, conclusion that it would be in their best interest to surround him on multiple sides.

So be it. If they decided they wanted to attack all at once, then he really was honor-bound to defeat them all at once now wasn't he?

Purposefully leaving himself open, Donatello waited from them to move in, and once they were in range he acted. Expertly wielding his staff, he brought it up across his body and swung out in a full circle sweeping motion. As his arm came up over his head, he bent backwards at the waist and lifted his chin to dodge his own weapon as he completed the cycle. When he straightened to his full height once more, breathing heavy, he observed the three Foot ninja laying in a skewed ring formation around him, knocked unconscious and bringing his total to an even dozen.

Letting out a heavy breath, Don secured his staff in its rightful place and went to retrieve Leo. It was high time they returned home.

"The hell?" Was Raph's immediate outburst at the sight of Donny's arrival with Leo draped across his shoulders. "How is he hurt? Are you hurt? Who did it? I'll kill him." His eyes narrowed dangerously and a hand reached out to grip Don's chin to tilt his head to get a better look at his busted lip. "Dammit Donny.

"Relax, Raph," Don said, pulling his face away and sounding slightly put out as he lowered Leo to the couch. "I took care of them already. Leo got hit by a dart and no, there aren't any serious injuries. Bumps, bruises, and a couple of scrapes. He's just unconscious."

"That's _not_ a scrape," Raph disagreed gruffly, pointing to Don's lip, "wait, dart? That what knocked him out?"

"Not exactly," Don replied reluctantly.

Raph raised a brow, detecting a juicy detail. "Explain."

"I think I should get the first aid kit," Donny tried to change the subject. "You know…for the—,"

"Bumps, bruises, and scrapes?" Raph offered dryly. "_Really _Don? You know I'll get the story eventually, and you know it will be by one of two ways. You're a smart guy. I trust you'll make the right choice."

Facing the ceiling with a weary sigh, Don turned back to confront his persistent brother. Why was his family so flipping stubborn? He had a feeling there'd be a lot less injuries and headaches if they'd just let things _go_. "All right, fine. I…sortofkindofknockedhimout_._"

"I'm sorry, what?"

Don glared.

"No, I'm serious," Raph held up his hands in a sign of defense, "I didn't understand a single word you just said."

"I _said_," Don began with a heavy emphasis on the last word, "that _I _knocked him out. With my bo staff….to the back of the head."

"You _hit _him upside the head!?" Raph repeated in disbelief.

"Well yes. He left me with little choice!" Don replied with earnest. "The Foot was advancing and he wouldn't stay _put_! And believe you me Raph, Leo was in _no _condition to be _around _a fight let alone _in _one. The sooner I could take care of them the sooner I could take care of _him_. I'm almost positive the effects are temporary, but I want to look at a blood sample just the same."

Raph was still staring at his brother, slightly slack-jawed. "You hit him upside the head with your _bo staff_!?"

"Honestly Raph? _That's_ the detail you're holding on to? Remind me to have a talk with you about your priorities."

"Well you wouldn't let me hold onto this one," Raph replied indignantly, waving a hand at the cut already scabbing over on Don's lip. "Or that one," he said, gesturing to Leo.

"So he's a that one huh?"

Raph glared. "Go get your science toys Einstein, I'll look after 'that one'."

"Equipment," Don corrected with a pointed look.

"_Whatever_." Raph rolled his eyes and sunk to the floor by the couch, his shell resting against it, the side of Leo's knee brushing the back of his neck. Lazily tossing his wrists up on his knees he made a face at Don's retreating back.

A couple of breaths later he heard Leo groaning his way back into the land of the living. When he felt the cushions move, he glanced back over his shoulder.

"You're awake I see," he observed, doing his best to keep the amusement out of his voice. He'd been playing the image of Donatello smacking his brother upside the head with his bo staff on an endless cycle. An image that he really shouldn't find so amusing…pffffft.

"You weren't out as long as I would have guessed you'd be…how you feeling?"

Blinking open his eyes, Leo immediately winced and scrubbed a weary hand across his face. He left it covering his eyes as if he weren't up for confronting the world yet. "Dart?"

"So I've been told," Raph confirmed.

"Why am I always the one getting drugged?" Leo demanded to know with a bitter quality to his tone.

"I dunno, maybe if you'd stop _jumping _in front of them trying to protect us all the time, you wouldn't have this problem _quite _so often." Raph picked himself up on the floor to claim a place leaning his weight back against the couch's armrest, his arms crossed loosely across his plastron.

Apparently that last comment was worth confronting, for Leo had lifted his hand long enough to glare before shielding his eyes once more. This time he hid them behind his elbow.

"I do not jump in front of them all the time." Leo disagreed finally.

"Yes, you do. Ask Don. Or Mikey. They'll both agree with me."

Leo made a disagreeing sound. "So what, you think I should watch them hit my brothers instead?"

"I was thinking more along the lines of a warning shout. Could be pretty useful actually." Raph countered. "It's like you have no faith in our reflexes."

"That's not true and you know it," Leo growled at him and Raph smirked. He always enjoyed giving Leo a hard time.

"Yeah, I know. So I'm assuming you're not hiding because you're embarrassed about getting it with a dart. Headache?" He inquired, referring to the arm still draped across Leos' eyes.

"Is it that obvious? It's like someone took a brick to my head or something."

It took every shred of willpower Raph had to refrain from laughing. "Yeah, or _something_. How you feeling besides that? Do you remember anything?"

"Nothing in particular. Guess it was some pretty strong stuff."

"It usually is," was Raph's response.

"Either you're talking to yourself again," Don said as he came up with a fresh syringe, "or our dear, but exasperating brother has regained consciousness."

Raph noted with a hint of satisfaction that Donatello had used a trimmed steri-strip to patch up his split lip to keep it from busting open again.

"I thought Mikey was the exasperating one." Leo objected, obediently offering his arm for Donny to retrieve the blood sample he was after.

"No," Don corrected as he went to work, "Mikey is the vexatious one. You're exasperating."

"So what does that make Raph?"

Don paused long enough to glance up at his lurking brother and Raph raised a challenging brow. "Aggravating," Donny replied at last.

"Che," Raph snorted, but he didn't disagree. "At least I don't knock my brothers out wi—mphf." He stumbled back when a couch cushion connected solidly with his face.

"_Very _aggravating," Don emphasized with a pointed glare.

Rolling his eyes, Raph tossed the pillow onto the empty chair, then frowned when the scent in the air changed. "Hey, Don? Did you leave something burning in your lab? On maybe?"

"Unattended? Of course not, why do you ask?" He asked, pressing a cotton ball to Leo's vein and promptly wrapping it with a clinging gauze bandage.

"It smells like something's burning."

That's when Mikey meandered his way in, mask tails blackened and black soot marks marring his face, arms, and legs. "Sup bros! You'll never guess wha—whoa…" he trailed off when he spotted the syringe of blood and the gauze around Leo's elbow.

"Sooooo…Leo get hit with another dart?"

All answers were drowned out by Raph's immediate burst of laughter.


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: **As you know, I do not own I simply borrow for entertainment purposes.

To my reviewers, you are my inspiration, and my readers, you keep me writing. Sorry it's been awhile!

As always, please enjoy

* * *

><p>It felt odd to be alone in the junkyard. The last time Michelangelo had been to the junkyard without Donatello, or any of his brothers for that matter, had been…well he wasn't really interested in remembering that far back at the moment.<p>

As he picked his way through piles of broken things and over towers of junked car parts and metal barrels, the absence of his siblings weighed heavy on his mind.

Not that he had, had a choice in the matter.

Leo and Don had gone off for some reason he'd already forgotten and Raph had mysteriously disappeared the moment Mikey had wanted to ask him to come along…

Still, he didn't really mind the solo trip, nor did he miss the disapproving looks he'd no doubt receive from Leo after he found out why Mikey was in the junkyard in the first place. The odd feeling, however, did not go away.

It didn't take him long to find what he was looking for. He spotted the protruding, broken and junked skateboard buried beneath piles of scrapped and lost things. A bent and contorted lawn chair sat on top, the neon orange material old, faded, and fraying a little. Mikey made a mental note to come back for it another day as he tugged the skateboard loose. Well…half a skateboard, but he was only after the wheels anyway.

Fishing the screwdriver he'd borrowed from Donny's tool box from his belt, he made quick work of detaching the wheels before tucking them away in the small backpack he'd brought along—slung over one shoulder of course. There was a reason Don used a duffle bag; the straps were far more forgiving where the shell was concerned.

Personal mission accomplished, Mikey turned to leave when he spotted old cords poking out from a nearby trash pile, the rubber torn and the copper wires sticking out. He recalled Don mentioning something about needing wires or something for some project or another. With a shrug Mikey reached for them, maybe they'd be useful.

For half a heartbeat, as his fingers wrapped around the cord a red flag went up in the back of his mind, but the self-warning came too late because he was already tugging and then he was flying through the air, his ears ringing from the deafening boom that had come so unexpectedly.

He landed hard on his back and felt his breath leave in a rush. Instincts taking over, he rolled to his feet with his nunchaku already in hand and in motion. Behind him a pile of garbage shifted from the commotion and there was another explosion.

Michelangelo dove to avoid the brunt of it and ducked down behind the frame of a rusted and junked car with missing tires. "The shell is going on?" Mikey wondered aloud, "what is this, revenge of the garbage?"

"I think I heard somethin' over here!"

Mikey ducked down farther on impulse at the sound of another voice. _Was this what Don meant when he said touching his stuff would get me into trouble someday?_

Peering cautiously around the car's hood, Mikey did his best to stay within the shadows. The only thing he managed to catch sight of was baggy jeans and worn shoes. Then the person shifted his weight and Mikey noticed the purple dragon painted on the shoe. _Figures…_

Retreating back behind the car, Michelangelo crept toward the back and glanced around the bumper, trying to get a head count. From his vantage point he was able to pick out four individuals, but he had no way to determine if there were any others around.

"Was probably a rat or somethin'." He heard one of them say.

"A rat wouldn't set off two of 'em you moron."

Footsteps to his left had Mikey wriggling his way under the car and he watched from underneath as another pair of beat up shoes came into view. Then he saw hands as the purple dragon member reached for the backpack Mikey hadn't realized he'd dropped.

"We know you're here you mutated freak! You ain't getting away from us!" The dude with his backpack vowed, before opening the bag and rummaging through it. Mikey's hands clenched tightly around his weapons, and then he swore under his breath as the man withdrew his phone. The phone that could potentially track his brothers' phones all the way back to the lair.

Without even pausing to think, Michelangelo launched himself out from under the car and tackled the man, wrapping his arms around his waist to ensure they both went down. And down they went, straight into another pile of garbage, and unsurprisingly there was another explosion (the first two had sort of used up the surprise factor).

Mike's arms flew up instinctively to shield his face as he was blown back yet again, and yeah, it really was starting to get old. Using the momentum the way Master Splinter had taught him to do, Mikey rolled back when his shell connected with the ground, throwing his feet up and over his head to land in a crouch, nunchaku still in hand. Returning one to his belt in order to free his hand, he reached to snatch his phone from the now unconscious purple dragon member.

"Should'a tucked and rolled dude," he told him, putting the phone away for safe keeping. He jumped with a yelp when something hot landed on his shoulder, and with a frantic motion he swept the smoldering bit of orange mask off of his skin.

"Aww man!" He exclaimed after his fingers ghosted carefully over the charred edges of his mask tails. "Eep!" He shrieked, ducking the clumsy fist that came swooping in toward his head, and then he was surrounded, dancing around strikes, deflecting blows, and dishing out some of his own.

When he ended up in a standoff, the chain of a nunchaku taunt as he pushed hard against a crowbar, Michelangelo shoved his opponent back and the man fell into a mound of trash. All dragon members froze, bracing themselves.

"What'd you do, booby trap the whole junkyard?" Mikey admonished, deflecting a punch with a forearm while hooking his knee up into the man's ribs. "Got something against garbage?"

"What better way to destroy your junkyard rat of a brother?" Someone answered. Mikey's blood ran cold. They'd set the traps for Donny? Suddenly he stumbled when a fist connected with the back of his shoulder, catching him off guard, but a quick backwards kick sent that particular assailant flying.

His hands tightened on his weapons as a protective darkness fell across his eyes. "First of all, my brother is a _turtle_ and my _father _is a rat, and second of all—" The gang member closest to him didn't have time to blink before he received a fist to the face. "No one messes with my bros!"

Without even giving the other members a chance to react Mikey lept into action.

Darting forward into a full-out sprint he charged a purple dragon. Jumping up, he caught the man's shoulders, using them like a spring board to send himself into a flying flip. Landing on the roof of the same car he'd hidden under, he launched himself to the top of another garbage pile, triggering a trash avalanche.

"Say goodbye to your little friends!" He jeered, leaping for the next mound as he set off an explosion. This modified version of leap frog continued as he jumped from mound to mound, triggering the booby traps as he went along. On the final pile, he stumbled, his foot catching onto a stray pizza box and he went sliding down the garbage pile like a surfer on a wave, or Legolas down the steps of Helm's Deep, just not quite as graceful.

He landed roughly on his knees, and despite the kneepads he wore he was sure he'd have some minor bruises there in the morning. Pushing himself to his feet and brushing himself off (as pointless as it was since he knew he was filthy but it just sort of completed the image you know?) he turned to confront his handy work.

What purple dragons that hadn't been caught by tumbling trash or been previously knocked unconscious had taken cover to avoid the brunt of their junkyard traps. Giving a satisfied nod, Michelangelo returned his nunchaku to his belt with sharp movements, and ignoring the several stinging scrapes he'd gathered during his efforts, returned to the shadows before his opponents even got the chance to look his direction.

Twenty or so minutes later with a pep in his step (and why not, he'd just blown the purple dragon's plans up in their faces…_literally), _Michelangelo meandered his way into the living room, wearing his soot markings, blackened and charred mask tails and even his scrapes with a of sense of pride. "Sup bros! You'll never guess wha—whoa…" he trailed off when he caught sight of them.

Leonardo was propped up on couch pillows, Raphael was leaning a hip against the arm rest, and Donny was sitting on the edge with a freshly drawn syringe of blood. Leo' if the gauze wrapped around his elbow was anything to go off of.

"Sooooo…Leo get hit with another dart?"

Raph's guffaws drowned out any immediate answers and Leo looked particularly put out as he gave Mikey _a look_.

"What?" He demanded defensively. "What'd I say?"

"More importantly," Donny interrupted with an edge of concern as he approached, "what did you _do_? Mikey, you're filthy and is this…burnt?" He asked, skimming his fingertips over the back of Mike's mask tails. "Were you playing with my equipment again?"

"What? _No_!" He declared, pushing away Don's curious hands when they brushed a little too roughly over a scrape on his shoulder. "The junkyard was trying to kill me…well you actually, but don't worry because I got there first and took it out before it could take you out. You're welcome."

Mikey barely suppressed his smile. Honestly, it was the looks he received from his brothers that he said half of the things he did. Their befuddled expressions were truly worth it.


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: **I do not own TMNT, I simply borrow for entertainment purposes.

To my readers, you keep me writing, and my reviewers who always bring inspiration. Thank you so much.

As always, please enjoy

* * *

><p>"I <em>don't<em> wanna hear it Leo," Raph said with a note of finality as he stuffed his sai back into his belt and turned on his heal, headed for home, stepping over Foot ninja as he went.

"You _never _want to hear it Raphael," Leo said through clenched teeth, using his full name like he did every time he was frustrated with a brother.

"Then you'd think you'd give it a rest for once," Raph said with a dismissive wave of his hand before both brothers stooped to remove the manhole covering. Leo ushered Raph in first before following.

"I could say the same to you," he countered once he'd caught up. "When are you going to stop being so reckless?"

"That would be the day you finally realize that what I do is none of your business!" Raph growled.

"It is my business when you put yourself in danger like that!" Leo hissed in frustration. "You were outnumbered and-,"

"Why's that matter?" Raph interrupted. "We're _always _outnumbered."

"And you dove in head first, blazes burning with fists flying like a bat out of hell," Leo continued like Raph hadn't spoken at all. As usual. For a guy who enjoyed meditating so much, one would think he'd be a better listener. "What if I hadn't been there?"

"Leo, you're _always _there," Raph said, scrubbing a frustrated hand across his face. He did _not _like what he was about to say, but if there was one thing he knew it was that showing a softer side everyone once in a while tended to get people to shut up real quick. "If there's one thing I can count on, it's that you've got my back, even when I _don't _want you looking over my shoulder all the time," he added.

Leo looked like he'd received a smack upside the head. "Raph…I…"

_Like a charm. _Raphael smirked.

"You know that saying," Raph went on, "the one where they say if you can't beat them join them? Load of crap. I say if you can't beat them, then beat them anyway. They'd be expecting you to join, so this way you got the element of surprise in your favor."

Leo quirked a brow at him.

"What?"

"I'm just…in awe is all."

"What for?" Raph asked with a hint of suspicion.

"Your tactic has always been hit first and ask questions later," Leo pointed out. "It's just amazing that you actually take something like the element of surprise into consideration." He joked. "Donny'll be thrilled to hear about this, and the fact that you _do _actually count on and think about us."

"Hittin' first just keeps things simple and…wait…what?" Raph asked, but Leo had already made a beeline for Don's lab. "Ha, ha, very funny Leo!" Raph called. He waited half a heartbeat to see if Leo was kidding. He wasn't.

His brothers looked for any and all reasons to give him a hard time about anything. He'd never hear the end of it, especially if it got back to Mikey. "Leo, wait!" He made a mad dash after him. "_Leo!_"


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: **I do not own TMNT, I simply borrow for entertainment purposes.

To my readers, you keep me writing, and my reviewers, you help me find my inspiration.

As always, please enjoy

* * *

><p>"Thanks April," Mikey eagerly accepted the bowl of steamed rice, curling his fingers around the ceramic, and absorbed the warmth into his palms.<p>

"No problem," the girl said, handing him a set of chopsticks.

He grinned at her, thrilled that she remembered he preferred to eat rice traditionally. It was more challenging that way…and they made excellent walrus tusks while he waited for the rest of the food to be passed around.

"Ugh," Leo scoffed, "really Michelangelo? That's not old at all."

Mikey wiggled his lips to make the chopstick-tusks dance in his mouth. Then he crossed his eyes at Raphael over Leo's shoulder, who was reaching across the table for the sesame chicken, tempting a reluctant smile from his usually sullen sibling.

_Victory_!

"Mikey," April scolded with a soft smile.

He pulled the chopsticks from his mouth in favor of spinning them nimbly between his fingers.

"Seriously?" Leo said, sounding affronted. "You'll listen to her but not to me? No offense April."

The girl shrugged in response, exchanging a wink with Michelangelo as she finally took her seat.

"April asked nicely," Mikey explained with a mischievous glint to his eyes. "What's that saying Donny? With the flies and the honey and stuff."

"You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar," Donny offered helpfully.

"Right," Mikey said with a sagely nod. "Then again, hate to break it to ya bro, but April's just prettier than you are."

This time Mikey got an amused snort out of Raph, a chuckle out of Don, a flattered blush from said lovely lady, and even Leo couldn't resist the small smile stealing across his face.

"Eat your dinner Mikey," he said, still resisting the smile.

"Don't have to tell me twice!" Mikey announced, eagerly digging his chopsticks into his rice and raising a nice hunk of it to his mouth. But he paused with a thoughtful frown. "You know…"

"Wait for it," Raph muttered, propping his chin up on his hand.

"Of all the possible things that could have been invented to eat rice, how in the world did two sticks win out?"


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: **As you know, I do not own I simply borrow for entertainment purposes.

To my reviewers, you are my inspiration, and my readers, you keep me writing.

My first_ turtle toddlers_ fic :-)

As always, please enjoy

* * *

><p>Master Splinter's whiskers twitched thoughtfully as he regarded his young son who still occupied the dining table. Already the other three had been excused and were taking full advantage of the free time he always allotted to them right after lunch.<p>

"Leonardo," he said gently, coming up beside him. "Aren't you hungry?"

Wrinkling his brow thoughtfully, Leonardo nodded once.

"Then why haven't you eaten?"

"I need a pork," he said meekly.

Splinter's whiskers twitched again, but this time in amusement. "Why do you need a fork?"

"For my sammitch."

"No, my son," he said kindly, "you eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with your hands, like your brothers."

The thoughtful brow wrinkling returned as Leonardo lifted his hands up close to his face for a thorough inspection. Spreading his fingers wide, he studied them for another moment before folding his hands and placing them softly in his lap.

"Sensei?"

"Yes, Leonardo?"

"I need a pork..."

Running a fond hand over his son's head Splinter hid his smile. "I will get one for you, my son."


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: **As you know, I do not own I simply borrow for entertainment purposes.

To my reviewers, you are my inspiration, and my readers, you keep me writing.

Another (sort of) TurtleToddler fic :-) Maybe I'll try and do one for each?

As always, please enjoy

* * *

><p>Master Splinter adjusted the strap of the warn messenger bag at his hip, fitting it more comfortably over his shoulder. "Are you all ready, my sons?" He asked, glancing down at the four young turtles peering up at him with wide, eager eyes.<p>

At his question, the siblings turned to each other to confirm with one another that they had everything they needed. Already they were sporting their soft wooden practice weapons s with pride. They had yet to acquire the respect all ninja should have for their chosen weapon.

Still, Splinter appreciated their innocence and strove to prolong it for as long as he was able.

Four sets of eyes returned to him, nodded their affirmation and he returned the nod. "Then we may proceed. Stay close to me and do not wander off."

Seconds before they left the lair a voice piped up.

"Oh! Oh! Sensei wait!"

Master Splinter turned in time to see Michelangelo's retreating shell.

Donatello blinked curiously after him, Raphael crossed his arms with an impatient pout, and Leonardo called after him. "Don't be a slowpoke Mikey!"

Splinter's ears twitched, following Michelangelo's movements as he sifted through things in another room.

When he returned, his eyes bright, looking proud, and grinning, Master Splinter couldn't help but return the smile with one of his own. "Are you prepared to leave now, Michelangelo?"

"I gots me a bandaid and a lollipop!" The turtle brandished both in the air for him to see. "I'm good."

"So I see," he said, brushing an affectionate hand over his son's head.


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: **As you know, I do not own I simply borrow for entertainment purposes.

To my reviewers, you are my inspiration, and my readers, you keep me writing.

As always, please enjoy. (I write a lot about Michelangelo...I hope that doesn't get too repetitive for you guys)

* * *

><p>Michelangelo's eyes were glued to the TV screen as he pulled the ringing phone from his belt.<p>

"...'llo?" He answered distractedly.

"Mikey," came Don's voice from the other end. "Where's Leo?"

"What'dya call me for if you're lookin' for him?"

"Because I need him for a quick favor and he isn't answering_ his _phone."

"What sort of favor? Maybe I can help."

"...it's boring."

Mikey pulled his phone down, pressing the mouth piece into his shoulder. "Leoooooo!"

"Why are you yelling inside, Mikey!?" Leo demanded from another room.

Mikey kindly refrained from pointing out that he had also yelled. "Donny's on the phoooooone!" He drawled instead.

There was a pause and he imagined Leo rolling his eyes at him before calling, "I'll be right there."

Mikey brought the receiver to his ear again. "Un momento por favor," he chirped to Don.

"Thank you."

"Yep."

A few seconds of silence ticked by before Don asked, "you're watching TV aren't you?"

"Yep," Mikey replied, leaning forward eagerly from his position on the couch. "And this dude is totally about to get his head lobbed off."

"Barbed wire?"

"Elevator."

"Ah," Don hummed. "Classy."

"That was pleasant," another voice said from behind him just as the blood splattered on screen.

Mikey tilted his head back against the back of the couch to peer up at his brother. "You mean _awesome._"

Giving his sibling a dry look, Leo plucked the cell phone from Mikey's hand. "Everything okay Donny?"

Mikey listened with half an ear as his two brothers talked, the rest of his divided attention returned to the TV. He started when Leo tapped the phone on his head and with a pout, he reached up, snatching it from him. "Did he hang up already?" He asked, but Leo was already half way across the room.

"Still there Donny?" Mikey asked skeptically.

"I am. I was just about to hang up. Did you need something?"

"I do have a question."

"Ask away."

"This...thing you need doing," Mikey began almost accusingly, "it's not boring."

"Well that depends on your own personal definition of boring Mikey," Donatello replied, "because I happen to always be interested in things I need doing."

"You just said that to keep me away," Mikey told him.

"You're a lot more perceptive than you get credit for," Donatello agreed. A silence fell between them. "There were shiny buttons involved."

A smile tugged at the corner of Mikey's mouth. He did happen to cause a lot of trouble whenever there happened to be shiny buttons. "Touche."


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: **hello treasured readers! It's been awhile, life has been busy.

I do not own TMNT, I simply borrow for entertainment purposes.

As always, please enjoy.

* * *

><p>They stumble into the dojo heart rates high and breaths heavy, but controlled. Michelangelo drops to his knees, falls forward onto his hands, and then lands on his plastron with a dramatic flare only he can pull off.<p>

"M'deeeaaad," he moans into the floor.

Leonardo rolls his eyes, lowering himself to the ground in one smooth motion. He rests his palms casually on his knees before he speaks. "I'll be sure to say something nice at your funeral."

"And heartfelt?" Mikey begs, folding his arms beneath his chin.

"And heartfelt," Leo agrees with a solemn nod, and Mikey grins. "Here lies Hamato, Michelangelo. Death took him far too early in the form of a ten mile run."

"You say that like ten miles is something to sneeze at!" Mikey protests hotly, "and you made me sprint the last two!" He adds when Leo gives him a dry look. "I totally won that race you know."

"I'm sure," Leo says sarcastically, unfolding his legs to stretch the protesting muscles. "You should do the same," he suggests, reaching forward so his chest rests on his knees.

Mikey pouts, but peels himself off the floor to follow his advice anyway. After all, his calves are already protesting. It's during the butterfly stretch that his stomach snarls in protest, a sound made even louder thanks to the quiet in the dojo.

Mikey's blue eyes slowly slide to the left where they catch sight of Leo's quirked brow in his peripheral.

"Hungry?" Leo states casually.

"You heard that?"

Leo smirks a little. "Pretty sure all of New York heard that. Don's on dinner detail tonight," he points out, "should be ready in about twenty minutes. Think you can last that long?"

"I dunno bro," Mikey whimpers dramatically, pressing the heel of his palm to his forehead, "I am wasting away as we speak! I think you can see my ribs." He twists into an impossible shape to check. "How many can you count!?"

Leo props his chin on a fist and shakes his head in amusement.

"Seriously though, I'm famished," Mikey continues, his arms stretching high over his head. "Gonna stuff myself silly so I won't even be able to move."

"Like you do every meal then."

"Yuuuuup!" Mikey flops onto his back, his arms spread wide and the two brothers enjoy a few moments of silence. Until Mikey snickers.

Leonardo debates not even responding, but his curiosity gets the better of him. "Why are you laughing?"

"I just thought of a joke. A cheesy one. Wanna hear?" He doesn't wait for Leo's response. "What did the gospel singer say after finishing a huge meal?"

"I don't know, what?"

"I am so-full!" Mikey beams, "get it? Soulful and so full?" Mikey falls into a bout of hysterical giggles, and maybe it's because they have both been up since three in the morning, or the long run, or the fact that they're also hungry (or or because Mikey has a contagious laugh Leo thinks to himself), but Leonardo laughs too.

And later, when Mikey finishes his dinner before the rest of them and leans back heavily in his chair and announces that he is 'so full' Leonardo snickers, smiling too hard to notice the are-you-crazy-looks from Donatello and Raphael across the table.


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: **Greetings my treasures! I think I got this one out in a more timely manner? Just a quick thank you to my readers and reviewers, new and old. I hope you're still following along.

I do not own TMNT, I simply borrow for entertainment purposes and...

... as always, please enjoy.

* * *

><p>Donatello nudged Mikey's shell with his knee in a nonverbal greeting when his brother claimed a seat on the floor beside him. He'd been doing that recently on their movie nights and Don suspected this was because Mikey figured he wouldn't have to share as much popcorn if he was further away from Raph.<p>

This theory was confirmed when Raphael wandered in a minute later with his own bowl and sunk into his usual seat at the other end of the couch. Apparently, he'd felt slighted where popcorn proportions were concerned.

"Hand me a pillow?" Mikey implored, leaning his head back to blink big blue eyes up at his brother.

Without looking away from his book, Don reached for the cushion and deposited it on the floor. As Mikey set about making his nest of blankets and singular pillow, Donatello glanced up long enough to catch sight of the bandage wrapped around his bicep.

A handful of hours ago, the four of them and happened upon a battle with The Foot. During the scuffle, Michelangelo had moved to protect Leo (who had been at that moment unable to protect himself) from a barrage of throwing stars. Thanks to a tackle from the side, Mikey had unintentionally intercepted one of the stars with his arm.

Frowning slightly, Don marked his page and tucked the book he no longer held interest for in between the couch cushions. "Are the stitches pulling?"

Mikey gave an experimental shrug. "No complaints here bro."

Don's eyes dropped to the bandage again and Mikey pouted with a sour look on his face. "You're not gonna start mothering me are you? I got enough fussing from Leo."

"Speaking of..." Raph piped up from his end of the couch, "...hey Fearless! Some time this century would be nice! We ain't getting any younger out here!"

"For real." Mikey nodded and leaned in conspiratorially toward Don, one hand cupped around his mouth. A pointless gesture as he didn't bother to lower his voice. "Just look at all those wrinkles. Think you could whip up some sort of moisturizer in your lab for him Donny? Because yike-oomf!"

"Next time it's my fist!" Raph promised.

"Oh Raphie," Mikey scooped up the pillow and stared at it like it was a precious gemstone. "How did you know? It's beautiful! _And_ a perfect fit," he crooned after tucking it beside the first one. "Did you go to Jared?"

Donny stifled a laugh, and only Leo's awaited arrival prevented Raph from lobbing the remote at Mikey's head. Plucking the device from his glowering sibling, Leo sunk into the couch's middle seat while simultaneously switching to the DVD setting. "We ready to get this movie started?"

Under the flickering light of the television, the ointment coating Leonardo's knuckles caught Donny's attention and the furrow that had occupied his brow not two minutes ago returned. He also didn't miss the way Raph cringed when he shifted positions, tucking his elbow tight against his ribs to support them. Luckily bruised and not broken.

Donatello had come to terms with the fact that frequent injuries were inevitable in the life they lived. Sometimes they were as small as busted knuckles from clocking a foot ninja in the teeth and sometimes as serious as broken bones, potentially life threatening even. Thankfully the series sorts hadn't happened as often, although every incident still left some semblance of a mark. A scar.

Some scars were mental, others emotional. He considered these particularly hard to deal with because he couldn't slap on a bandage and call it a day. As for the physical kind, they all had them. Several of them, perhaps even too many.

Some of them were old, some new, some thin and fading. Others were thick and obvious; spiderwebs of puckered tissues stretching across skin. Scars from split lips, from practice, from repeatedly busting knuckles, scars from blocking weapons or not blocking weapons. All of them littering arms and legs, curving along jawlines, tracing temples, wrapping around fingers. Even their shells were peppered with gouges, scratches, and cracks. The stories the scars could tell...

Don caught Leo staring at the bandage on Mikey's arm with a guilt-ridden gaze. Sensing eyes on him, Leo looked up and offered Donny a soft smile before sneaking popcorn from Raph's bowl who grumbled a protest but moved it closer anyway.

"Want some?"

Donny blinked at the food being offered. "Wow, Mikey is sharing? Willingly?" He reached in and snagged a handful. "To what do I owe the honor?"

"You're not Raph."

"Don't do it Don," Raph warned, "his hands have been all over that popcorn and you have no idea where they've been. What do you think the real reason I made my own is anyway?"

"I'm feeling brave today, I think I'll risk it."

"When you're puking your guts out at three in the morning because of food poisoning, I'll be too busy telling you I told you so to hold the tails of your mask out of the way."

"Thank you Raph, always the considerate one," Donny replied dryly. He made a show of popping a kernel into his mouth and chewing extra slow, maintaining eye contact with his brother in a silent challenge as he did so.

Raphael rolled his eyes, resisting a smirk, and returned his attention to the screen while Don returned to his earlier musings, but not before he caught Leo glancing at Mikey's arm again, until Mikey pulled the blanket he was curled up in high over his shoulder. Apparently Don wasn't they only one who'd caught Leo staring. Mentally applauded his younger brother's perceptiveness, Don leaned back into the couch, seeking a more relaxed posture.

No doubt Leo regretted Mikey's injury, blaming himself that he'd gotten hurt in his defense. Donny could understand the regret. After all, he was far from happy whenever his brothers got hurt for any reason, but guilt? He gave a figurative shake of his head. Without a doubt, if he could somehow make it possible for his medical expertise to never again be required, he would jump at the chance, but he'd never feel personally responsible for an injury inflicted by someone else.

He wouldn't regard his scars and the scars of his brothers as marks of failure, or as a lack of skill. If there was but one story all of their scars told, it was that they had lived.

He chose to look at their scars and see them for what they truly were: marks of survival. And maybe, someday, Leo would too.


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N:** Hellooooooo Treasures! It's been awhile, sorry about that. Lot's of life changes. So yeah! Love and gratitude to my readers and reviewers, new and old.

I do not own TMNT! This is for fun, not profit.

As always, please enjoy.

* * *

><p>"Donny you gotta help me."<p>

"Whatever it is you broke, make a note of it and I'll get to it when I can." Donatello replied with a dismissive wave in the direction of a bulletin board on the opposite wall.

Raphael frowned. "I didn't break anything. Why is it you assumed I broke something? Why do you _always_ assume when we come looking for you it's because we broke something?"

That actually earned him a glance and his frown deepened at the quirked brow Don sent his way. "I didn't!" Raph insisted adamantly.

"Right," Donny said dryly. He straightened in his chair and saved his work on the laptop before turning to his brother. "All right, you now have my undivided attention. How exactly may I assist you with this 'nothing is broken' situation?"

"Mikey won't talk to me."

Donny blinked. "You must be thrilled." He glanced longingly at his laptop screen.

"At first I was," Raph continued in a voice heavy with frustration, "but that was almost a week ago."

Donny's brows shot up in surprise. "A week? I had been wondering why it's been so quiet around here, but I was reluctant to question the miracle. Honestly, the amount of work I get done without-"

"Don," Raph interrupted, "Mikey?"

"What about him Raph?" Don asked as he twirled a pen between nimble fingers. "He's not a machine you can take a hammer to a few times and hope it solves the problem." He paused when Raph's eyes lit up devilishly.

"Don't even think about it," Donny hissed, jabbing the pen authoritatively in his brother's direction. "I'll hide the tools."

"Then what _do_ you suggest?" Raphael demanded heatedly with a toss of his hands. "Because aside from knocking some sense _into_ him or the reason _out_ of him, I got nothing!"

"Is violence _always _your go to method?" He sighed rhetorically. "I don't suppose you simply asked him what the problem was?"

Raph glared. "You're right Don...because that wasn't the first thing I tried. Imagine how the problem would go away if he just told me what the problem was."

"All right!" Don conceded with a huff. "I'll talk to him. Just know this satisfies your weekly quota for Donatello solving your problems."

"Dully noted." Pause. "So, when you gonna go talk to him?"

Donny threw the pen at him. "Out!" There was a trace of fond exasperation in his voice. "Before I follow Mikey's example and stop talking to you too."

"Thanks Donny!" Raph said before throwing the pen back. Don caught it, eyed his computer one last time, then peeled himself out of his chair to begin the search for the unusually quiet Michelangelo.

After checking the living room, the kitchen, Mike's bedroom, and even the bathroom, Donatello finally found his little brother in the dojo of all places. The position he found him in (mid-handstand on Leo's back while their leader remained in a plank position) really should have been more surprising than finding him in the dojo. It wasn't.

"Raph wants to know why you aren't talking to him," he said from the doorway.

"Well hello to you too, Don." Leo greeted.

"What'd I tell ya Leo!" Mikey said eagerly, lifting a finger to poke his brother's shoulder enthusiastically. This left him balancing on one hand. "Told ya he'd crack and go to Donny!"

"Yes, now stop poking me."

"This means I'm free from washing dishes for a week!" Michelangelo went on. So did the poking.

Without warning Leo suddenly shifted all of his weight to one elbow. Mikey let out a shriek and then the two were on the floor in a tangle of limbs.

"I told you to quit poking me."

"A whole week!" Mikey declared in excitement, his arms appearing out of the tangle to punch the air victoriously.

"Wait," Donny began, watching Leo rise gracefully to his feet. Mikey remained where we was sprawled on the floor. "This was a bet between the two of you?"

"Affirmative!" Mikey chirped, tilting his chin up so he could meet Don's searching eyes. "Leo guessed he'd come beat the answer out of me, I said he'd go to you."

Donny quirked a brow at their leader, a silent request for an explanation behind his reasoning.

Leonardo shrugged a shoulder. "Can you really blame me? That's what he usually does."

"So you gave him the silent treatment for no other reason than to try and get out of washing dishes?" Donatello clarified.

Mikey rolled over and propped himself up on his elbows. "For a _week_," he answered pointedly. There was a _duh_ at the end of the sentence that went unsaid. "And you know...personal amusement."

"Have the two of you made these bets before?"

Leo and Mikey exchanged a look. "Once or twice," Leo answered carefully after a pause. He sensed he and his youngest brother were slipping into dangerous territory.

Donny looked between them. "Have I ever been the subject of such bets?"

_Very_ dangerous territory...

"Well actually there was this one ti-ow!" Mikey grimaced, nursing the side Leo had just dug his heel into and glared up at him. His brother was currently shooting him a _zip it _sort of look. The two of them glanced at Don, and from the expression on their genius brother's face they knew they were in trouble.

"I want details," he said in a clipped tone. "Now, if you please."

Mikey swallowed audibly. "Well...you remember that time a few weeks back when you were writing new programming codes to update the security system? Well, I switched your coffee to decaff and we took bets on how long it would take you to notice."

"You mean the time when I fell asleep at my desk and spilled coffee all over my work? Yes, I do remember. It took me three days to rectify that little mistake. And now I know you had a hand in it." He took a threatening step forward.

Mikey pushed himself up into a crouch, balancing on the balls of his feet just in case he needed to bolt. "Whoa hold on," he held up a palm. "That was totally an accident. How was I supposed to know you'd be writing on _paper_? I mean, it's the twenty-first century bro. Get with the times!"

"Three. _Days._ Michel_angelo!"_

Mikey physically flinched at the use of his full name. To his left he saw Leo's foot shift back a step. They both knew that when Donny used a full name...well it was best just to run and hope for a clean getaway.

Donatello recognized the moment Mikey had decided to run and he jumped for him with the intention of blocking his escape route, but the brat used his shoulders like a spring board and frog leaped over his back.

"You aren't excused either Leo!" Don shot over his shoulder as he turned in pursuit of his fleeing sibling.

Mikey was already across the lair when Donny emerged from the dojo and Raph was staring after him in befuddlement. As Don rushed past him, Raph caught his elbow and pulled him to a stop. He ignored his impatient huff.

"What happened?" Raph demanded. "If this is how you were going to get answers, I could've done it myself!"

"Answers?" Don said darkly and Raph blinked, caught off guard. "I'll give you answers! Leo and Mikey made a bet about how you'd react to his little silent treatment. For laughs."

Raph's eyes darkened to match Donny's tone. "That don't explain why _you're _chasing him though."

"Let's just say there have been similar occurrences in the past and you aren't the only victim."

"Leo _and _Mikey you say? How 'bout I help even the odds and I'll go after Mikey."

Don shook his head. "I'm faster."

"Maybe," Raph countered, "but Leo's more scared of you."

"What, seriously?"

Raph nodded. "Well sure. You're almost as bad as Splinter."

Don draped a hand over Raph's shoulder, the other covered his heart. "That might be the nicest thing you've ever said to me."

"So we gonna go get 'em or what?"

Leo and Mikey never really stood a chance...


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N:** Greetings my treasures! I love you all, thanks for sticking around.

I do not own TMNT! This is for fun, not profit.

It's a short one, but a tot one, so maybe that makes up for it?

As always, please enjoy.

* * *

><p>Over the rim of his teacup Splinter watched with fond amusement as their training dissolved into playtime.<p>

Young Michelangelo had turned a bo staff into a limbo bar and had coerced Donatello and Leonardo into joining in on the game. Splinter would have felt more put out if they hadn't already put in a solid hour of practice. Besides, the activity encouraged balance, flexibility, and most importantly-brotherly bonding.

"Look Mastah! M'a sheriff!" Raphael announced proudly. He twirled a jump rope in a clumsy, but endearing, imitation of a lasso.

"I can see that, my son." Splinter's whiskers twitched in the softest hint of a smile. "Just do not go tying up your brothers."

"Won't!" Raphael agreed with a glimmer in his eyes, "yet..." he added softly.


End file.
